"Well, what are we going to do now?"
Saffron looked at Lily, "I was hoping you'd know."
"I'm totally drained I'm afraid." Lily replied, "I wasn't thinking, I guess when Armand's spell floored me I just panicked and threw out everything I had left in me. I won't be doing that again in a hurry though, I feel like I've just run a marathon!"
"What happened, I mean you won right?"
"I guess so," Lily replied doubtfully, "when I came to they were all gone, and I vaguely remember hearing people disappearate."
"Well the important thing is that you're alright, and so is everyone else. I'd be surprised if you didn't get an award for Special Services to the School!"
"Oh no, I don't want that," Lily responded, shaking her head, "I'd rather this was played down as much as possible. Hopefully Dumbledore'll be able to come up with a good excuse to cover it all up."
"I guess," Saffron replied dubiously, a small frown creasing her brow, "I suppose what I meant was that sometimes it would be nice to get recognition for all the sacrifices that you make, you know?"
Lily nodded, "I'd be lying if I said that the thought has never crossed my mind, but the thing is that what I do is too important to show the world. I don't want to be treated like some sort of celebrity, with people following me round, worshiping me like I'm some kind of goddess, because I'm not. Really I'm just an ordinary girl with an amazing gift. I just do what anyone else in my position would."
Saffron shook her head, "Whatever you say, Lily, you're someone special, even more so because you never say it, you never think you're any better than anyone else."
"Come on, can you help me up? Let's get out of here." Lily said, changing the subject as she started to feel a little uncomfortable with her friend's earnest praise.
"Right."
Together they clambered out of the wreckage, Lily's arm around Saffron's shoulders. Slowly they limped away and sat themselves on a trunk a short distance away. The stars were starting to appear in the sky above them, illuminating the area in a soft silver glow.
Saffron grinned and said, "You know, you should have seen James, he had to be magically restrained to stop him from coming after you."
Lily smiled, "That boy has more guts then sense."
Saffron laughed, "That's what I've been saying for years!"
"How's Sirius? He was pretty shaken up when you were unconscious."
"Oh, well he's fine too." Saffron looked away.
"Saffron? Is there something you aren't telling me? What's going on with you two anyway?" It was Lily's turn to grin now.
"Nothing, a whole lot of nothing. We're just friends."
"Really?" I was sure that there was something between you. Stop me if I'm intruding, I'm just curious is all."
"Oh we…spark alright, but… well…we're just… not compatible," Saffron replied, shifting uncomfortably.
"Not compatible?" Lily raised an eyebrow, grinning.
"Shut up," Saffron replied with a small grin and a gentle shove, "You know what I mean."
"Not really-"
"-What's that?" Saffron interrupted, pointing at two small shapes in the distance that were gradually getting closer.
"I don't know," Lily squinted at them.
"Do you think we should hide?" Saffron suggested, glancing around for something to hide behind.
"I don't think so," replied Lily, "I don't think it can be the Death Eaters back, surely they would just apparate. Perhaps they're owls or something."
"Owls?" Saffron repeated sceptically.
Lily laughed, "Well, I don't know! You never know."
Saffron shook her head, and grinned again. She watched the advancing shapes and said suddenly, "Actually I think it's people…on brooms."
"What?"
"I know it sounds odd, but I've seen enough Quidditch matches to know a player on a broom," Saffron replied, getting up and walking a few steps forwards, squinting into the distance.
Sure enough, in a few seconds they could make out two people riding brooms, following the tracks towards them.
"They have to be from the Hogwarts Express or something," Saffron said, half turning towards Lily, "Why else would they be following the train tracks? Over here!" She waved her arms vigorously.
Spotting her, the two riders changed direction and sped towards them.
"James!" Lily exclaimed as he skidded to a halt a short distance from them, jumping down to run over to them. "Sirius! What are you two doing here?" Sirius was only a short distance behind James and the two of them walked over to the two girls.
"Are you alright?" James asked anxiously, kneeling down next to where Lily was sat. He reached up with one hand, to touch the bandaged head, "What happened?"
"I got into a bit of a fight," she replied with a smile, "but I won- and I'm fine, just tired really."
"Saff, what about you?" James turned to scrutinise his sister, "I mean, I thought you looked ok when I got here, but-"
"I'm fine, James, stop fretting," Saffron replied with a smile.
"Dumbledore and a couple of the teachers arrived not long after you left," Sirius said, "He's sorting everyone out, and Madam Pomfrey fixed us up fine," he gestured to James's head where the gash used to be.
"Why did you come after us?" Lily asked.
"How did you even know I was here?" Saffron added, "I didn't even know I was going to end up here!"
"After Dumbledore turned up we searched the whole train for you, and when we didn't find you we assumed that you'd gone after Lily," Sirius replied.
"That and the fact that you said you'd know if Lily was in trouble," James added, "I figured that if you weren't around then, you know, you'd found out that something was wrong and gone after her."
"The brooms were my idea," Sirius put in proudly.
"And it was my idea to follow the tracks," James said quickly.
Lily and Saffron laughed.
"What?" James and Sirius asked, looking a little put out.
"You two are such a comedy duo!" Saffron replied with a grin.
Lily grinned too, "But we truly are grateful you came for us, we were just wondering what we were going to do."
"Our knights in shining armour," Saffron added with a grin.
"You think she's mocking us?" Sirius said to James, his eyes twinkling.
James nodded, "Definitely."
Sirius broke into a grin and marched over picking her up and slinging her over his shoulder, "Let's go."
"Hey! Put me down!" demanded Saffron, pounding on his back with her fists.
James laughed and held out his hand to Lily with a bow, "My lady."
She placed her hand in his and tried to force herself to stand. She took a few, stumbling steps forwards, clinging to James's arm before he stopped her, stooping so he could pick her up.
"James, really you don't need to-"
"-You wouldn't want to deprive him of his knight in shining armour bit would you?" Sirius asked, half dropping Saffron to the floor in front of his broom.
"Well you're an utterly unconvincing knight," Saffron retorted, poking him in the chest. Her face was flushed from being held upside down and her glare wasn't entirely convincing.
"I'd say you'd do better not to make him cross, you're going to have to ride with him," James interrupted with a grin as he helped Lily to sit at the front of his broom, mounting behind her.
"Fantastic," Saffron replied dryly, rolling her eyes.
Sirius grinned and mounted his broom, "When you're ready."
Saffron gave him and arch look before climbing on behind and wrapping her arms round his waist, "It's just as well you don't smell bad."
He grinned and winked at James who rolled his eyes. Lily smiled and leant back against James, who had one arm round her and the other hand on his broom.
"We'll have to go a bit slower," he said, "I don't us want to fall off."
"Can't ride with one hand, James?" Saffron asked with a grin.
He stuck his tongue out at her and she laughed.
"I guess that means no races then," Sirius said ruefully.
"Definitely not," James replied, "although we do have to get back before anyone finds out we've gone."
"No one knows you came?" Lily asked in surprise, "how-"
"Peter's covering for us," James explained.
"The classic, 'they went that way', being our ever so cunning plan," Sirius added grinning.
"So if anyone asks where you are he's just going to say you went that way and point in a random direction?" Saffron asked dubiously.
"Yep, that about sums it up, anyway, never mind that let's go." And with that James kicked off and started to head back the way they came.
As Saffron and Sirius followed then Saffron put her mouth to his ear saying, "Do you know, Lily thought you guys were owls when we saw you approaching."
He let out a bark of laugher and shot forwards, Saffron grinning over his shoulder.
"Can you hear anyone?" James asked.
They were crouched together on the roof of the last carriage of the Hogwarts Express, Sirius had his ear to the roof, listening for movement within. A strong wind buffeted them about, and they all clung tightly to the small handles that Saffron had transformed. Their brooms were tied fast to more protrusions. They had to shout over the wind to be heard.
"Don't think so," Sirius replied at last, "it seems pretty quite, but you never know."
"Someone hold on to my legs and I'll look over the edge," Saffron shouted, gesturing with her free arm to illustrate her idea.
James shook his head, "That's too dangerous, what if you fall?"
Saffron glared at him, and turned to Sirius, "Grab hold of my ankles." And she started to shuffle towards the edge. He frowned and cast a quick apologetic look at James before grasping her ankles firmly and lying flat on top of the carriage.
As her hands grasped the edge of the roof, Saffron looked down and caught her breath as she saw the ground being eaten up by the train as it sped along, the wheels spinning faster than she could follow, railway sleepers indistinguishable from one another, just a blur along the tracks. The wind whipped her hair around her face, rushing so fast that when she looked along the train into the brunt of the wind she felt as though she couldn't breathe. She gripped convulsively at the edge and swallowed hard, a pair of hands, warm on her ankles grounding her, she shuffled forwards and leaned down.
Hands pressed against the window pane, she looked into an empty carriage. The seats had come away from the wall and the glass in the compartment door was smashed, but it was empty. Just as she was beginning to wonder if Sirius would hear if she called up to him she heard the train whistle begin to echo as the engine passed into a tunnel up ahead. She looked round in horror as the dark hole rushed towards her, anxiously looking at how close the walls came to the train.
On top, the others heard the whistle too and looked over their shoulders.
"Pull her in!" James shouted to Sirius, pushing Lily down and covering her with his body.
Tightening his grip Sirius heaved, reaching up to grab the band of her skirt, praying that it would be quick enough. Knees grazing on the edge of the roof, Saffron felt herself pulled upwards, skirt riding up her legs she slid back onto the roof. The whistle sounded again as the train entered the tunnel, echoing off the dark walls, she felt herself being shielded from above. Cold wind rushed past them and she heard the sound of rapid breathing at her ear. A self-conscious voice in her head told her she needed to pull her skirt down.
The train swung to the side suddenly and they we all thrown over roughly, grabbing at whatever was in their reach. James snatched Lily's arm, pulling her up so she could wrap her arms round his neck, as the other hand found one of the handles they had used before. Lily's tired hands entwined themselves in his shirt and she wished fervently that she wasn't so completely drained.
As she was thrown to the side Saffron flung her hands out, fingers brushing another handle that she seized, the rest of her body swinging towards the edge, crying out as her shoulder jarred against the weight of her body. She almost screamed at the burning pain that shot though her shoulder as a hand grasped her ankle and looked down to see Sirius half slipping over the edge, one hand round her ankle, the other scrambling for purchase on the smooth roof. Gritting her teeth she closed her fist as tightly as she could around the grip and stretched the other out towards him.
Lily and James could only look on in fear as Sirius's hand swung wildly up towards Saffron's. The occasional flash of the weak tunnel lights illuminating his pale face and swinging legs. Saffron's heart pounded like a hammer in her chest as her muscles screamed in protest, arm shaking with the effort of holding the weight of two people. With a final effort Sirius thrust his hand upwards, fingers closing fast about Saffron's hand.
Closing her eyes, she held her breath and clenched her teeth against the strain as she felt the weight of Sirius pulling on her. A hand grasped at her waist band again and she felt herself flush despite the situation. Then her hand was released, grabbing her upper arm. As his other hand let go of her skirt and reached up over her head for the handle her eyes followed his determined expression, trained on reaching for the grip she held.
"Are you two alright?" James' voice called urgently through the semi-darkness.
"I'm fine," Sirius replied, his voice shaking slightly as he used the handle to lever himself onto the more level part of the roof, his other hand reaching out to catch hold of Saffron and pull her up too.
"Saffron?" Lily called anxiously, "are you alright?"
She opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out, she swallowed and tried again, "I'll live," she managed, her voice steady compared to the tremors shaking her body. Her arms were sore and the fingers on her right hand didn't feel like she could move them although she had managed to release the handle, trusting to Sirius's grip on her waist. And as for her right shoulder, she was fighting to ignore the throbbing pain that came from it, feeling as though she might pass out at any moment.
"We're almost at the end," James called, looking over his shoulder at the growing light in the distance. Looking down at Lily he said, "What about you? How are you holding up?"
"I'll feel a lot better once we're back inside," she replied with a small smile. "You know I think it wasn't such a good plan to try and land on the roof."
"Maybe not," he replied with a laugh.
A final blast of the whistle and the train shot back out into the open air, brilliant starlight spilling onto the four.
"Saffron?" Sirius glanced down at her. Her face was pale and her eyes were closed. "Saffron, are you ok?"
She made an unintelligible sound and he frowned in concern.
"Saffron?"
She opened her eyes and looked up at him, biting her lip against the pain.
"Are you hurt?"
She managed a small nod.
He swore and looked over to where Lily and James were, "Saffron's injured," he called, "What do I do? I can't let go of anything to check on her."
A clanging sound rang out behind Lily and James and they turned to see Peter's head appear.
"Peter!"
"Are you guys alright?" he asked anxiously, "I've been walking up and down the train looking out for you guys for ages. Dumbledore's really suspicious, I don't think he was fooled by my evasions for a moment."
"How did you get there?" James asked in surprise.
"Oh, there's a sort of skylight thing here, I suppose you couldn't see it very well seeing as it's more or less pitch black out here."
"Bloody hell!" Sirius exclaimed in frustration, "We could just have gone through that?!"
"You can rant about it later, let's just get inside," James replied, biting back his own frustration and shifting his grip to help Lily shuffle along the roof towards Peter who reached out towards her. Grasping hold of one of his hands Lily turned onto her front and slid her feet in through the hole, which was just wide enough to admit two people. As her feet found the trunk Peter had moved to stand from she crouched down and slid to the floor inside.
The lights that were normally bright and cheerful swung brokenly on the wall, a hazy, patched glow spilling over the floor. Looking up she could hear the sound of the others clambering along the roof. A second later Sirius' face appeared in the hole looking down at her, he smiled and looked at Peter,
"Move out the way a sec, Peter," he said, climbing down in Peter's place as the other boy jumped clumsily to the floor. Turning back Sirius said, "Alright, I'm ready."
He lifted his arms to take hold of Saffron as she was passed down to him, right arm hung loosely at her side as she grasped at her shoulder tightly, her face pale and drawn.
She bit back a cry as Sirius stepped down, jarring her shoulder and he murmured something soothing in her ear. A second later James jumped down, the two broomsticks in his hand. He held them out to Peter, who took them and walked over to Lily, wrapping an arm round her waist.
"What happened to you guys?" Peter asked in astonishment, looking from one pale face to the next.
"I'll tell you later," James replied.
"We need to go find Pomfrey," Sirius added, heading towards the door to the next carriage, Saffron in his arms.
A/N: That's right, Peter did something good! Hehehe, sorry, it's just a little gripe of mine that he's generally portrayed as evil in stories. And that's just insulting to James, Lupin and Sirius, as if they had no kind of personal judgement. Anyway, hope those of you who have had exams felt they went ok and good luck to those who haven't taken them yet! Mine are finally over, hence the update ;)
Thanks to all my new reviewers, it was nice to get a review every now and then over the period I was revising. And of course thanks to everyone else for their patience, hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Oh yeah, and whoever it was that asked about Tanwen you'll have to read 'The White Fire' I'm afraid to find that out. It's a kind of sequel to this, kind of. I think that was all…right, off to finish my rounds of updating.