Call On Me

Chapter Twenty One-Lily's Symptoms

Lily managed to come around again after what happened the other day. She seemed more herself and with constant reassurance from Dumbledore and us, she was back to her old self in no time.

I started getting a bit of morning sickness so Madam Elkin got me a Menos Potion to calm it down.

The weather shifted to winter now. The sky was a gray color with clouds and a heavy snow began falling now. I took a walk on the grounds and pulled the warm, wool cloak around me tighter. I had the hood pulled up over my head as I walked. The snow flakes gently flittered to the ground and stuck on my cloak. I inhaled deeply. My shoes crunched over the dead leaves and small pockets of snow.

I realized poor Danielle really didn't know what she was doing. She had no control over her actions. We still didn't know what happens to the parasite if we can remove it or it just dies naturally.

It was nighttime and a full moon hung in the darkened sky. I knew Remus would be changing any moment.

Sure enough, a gray wolf galloped toward me. His paws kicking up small clouds of snow as he galloped.

I broke into a grin.

The wolf came to a complete stop by my feet. He tucked his hindquarters into a sitting position and looked up at me.

"What are you doing?" I asked softly. "You're lucky no one else sees you!"

The wolf just stared up at me with those amber/jaundice eyes.

"Somehow I doubt that matters to you," I said my lip twitching. "Am I right?"

The wolf let out a small bark and his tail began wagging, thumping against my shoes.

I shook my head and laughed.

I sighed and began heading back to the castle. Remus walking right next to me. Bits of snow clung to his fur.

Just then, someone emerged from the castle. I felt Remus' body tense up and his hackles raised. His eyes were locked on the figure.

But then, the figure stepped into the light and I realized it was Lily.

"Lily!" I called relieved. I began jogging toward her. Remus trotting alongside me. His body relaxed completely.

Lily leaned against the castle and was slightly bent over.

"Lil? What's wrong?" I demanded worriedly putting a hand on her shoulder.

Remus sat at Lily's feet and looked up at her, whining.

"I don't feel well," she said swallowing. "I came out to find you because I needed to tell you that Kelly isn't doing well. She just received word that her father passed away."

"Oh no," I said quietly. "Okay. Get yourself to Madam Elkin. We're heading back to the common room."

Lily nodded. Remus and I entered the castle and headed to the common room.

Kelly was sitting at a table with her arms crossed on it and her head buried into them. I saw her shoulders shaking and I could hear her sobbing uncontrollably. The common room luckily was silent and empty except for us.

Remus went over to Kelly and sat down beside her left leg, putting his weigh against it. She jerked awake and gasped, but then realized what it was and I took a seat across from her. I pulled down the hood and shook off the snow. I took off my cloak and swung it onto the chair.

"What happened?" I asked gently.

"My dad didn't make it," she sobbed. "Mum owled me earlier."

I put an arm around her and pulled her close.

"I'm so sorry," I said quietly.

Kelly continued to sob.

Remus put his head on her thigh and continued to whine.

Kelly left the table and curled up on the couch and soon dozed off.

Remus curled up with her.

Lily came back into the common room looking feverish.

"I thought I told you to go to Madam Elkin," I scolded getting up from the chair and going over to her.

"I did," Lily answered as she flopped down on the loveseat. "She gave me a Talon potion."

"You look worse," I said scrutinizing her closely.

I reached over and placed my palm flat against her forehead. She was burning up.

"You're burning up!" I said. "Go into the dorm."

She nodded and got up and headed into the girls' dorm. I looked over at Remus curled up against Kelly.

"I'm going to check on Lily," I said. "Keep an eye on her okay?"

Remus barked and I turned and headed after Lily.

Lily put on a light nightgown and climbed under the covers. I grabbed a cool compress and placed it over her forehead.

"I'm going back to Madam Elkin," I said firmly. "You're sick."

Lily began shivering violently even though she was under the covers. I turned and hurried back out of the dorm and left the common room.

A few minutes later, Madam Elkin and I returned to the common room. Remus was still curled up with Kelly.

"Oh my goodness!" Madam Elkin cried. "What on earth is that wolf doing in here?"

"It's fine," I said quickly. "Dumbledore knows."

I began ushering her into the girls' dorm. Lily was curled in a fetal position.

"She is worse," I said. "She's burning up with a fever."

Madam Elkin checked Lily over again.

"Hmm," she mused. "That is most odd."

"What?"

"The Talon potion should've brought down the fever immediately," Madam Elkin said. "She had the fever when she came to me before. It should've broke by now."

"What would that mean?" I asked alarmed looking from Lily to her.

"I'm not sure," she said. "We're just going to have to keep administering fluids and the potion and hope that it breaks. She should really be in the hospital wing."

So Madam Elkin conjured a stretcher and put Lily on it. They left the common room.

I went back into the common room and plopped down on the loveseat. Before long, I had too, dozed off.

The next morning, Remus was in his human form and dressed in black slacks, a white shirt and emerald green robes over it. Kelly was still sound asleep on the couch.

"Morning," he said. "How's Lily doing?"

I stretched. "Morning. I hope she's alright. Last night the fever didn't break even after Madam Elkin administered the Talon Potion. Let's go check on her,"

Kelly woke up and sat up. Her hair was standing on end. She self consciously ran a hand through it.

"Hey," Remus said gently. "How are you feeling?"

"Not good," Kelly answered her eyes filling with tears all over again.

Remus put his arms around her and gave her a squeeze. To my surprise, she put her arms around his waist and hugged him. Remus hugged her back tightly.

"Listen," he said quietly. "If you need someone to talk to, Professor Andrews and I are here if you need us okay?"

Kelly nodded and pulled back from the embrace.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her robe and headed into the girls' dorm.

"Let's go see how Lily's doing," Remus said.

We left the common room and headed to the hospital wing. When we entered, Lily was lying on a cot with the blanket and sheet pulled up to her chest.

Madam Elkin was leaning over her, running a wand like object over her entire body.

"How is she?" Remus asked concerned as we approached her.

"Not good," Madam Elkin replied gravely looking up at us. She placed the glowing blue wand on top of the nightstand. "She's got the parasite."

"What?" Remus asked stunned, not sure if he had heard her correctly.

"She has the parasite," Madam Elkin repeated. "Did she drink anything unusual?"

"Just butterbeer I'm guessing at Hogsmeade," I replied swallowing. "Can you help her?"

Madam Elkin looked at me.

"I'm not sure," she said quietly. "The last two times we had no idea how to destroy the parasite and the Vocis potion had no effect. It seems to have gotten stronger this time around."

Remus and I looked at each other.

This wasn't good at all.

We stayed with Lily for a while. She was still curled in a fetal position on the cot and shivered. She had a 103.0 fever. Madam Elkin kept administering the Talon potion.

Remus kept his arm around me the entire time. I couldn't lose Lily…I just couldn't. That would be the third person lost to this parasite. We had to come up with a way to defeat it.

We ended up staying in the hospital wing with Lily. I was curled up on a cot across from Lily and Remus was next to me on another cot.

Around 5 AM, I awoke to someone gently shaking me.

"Miss Andrews? Wake up," a soft voice said.

I groggily opened my eyes. It was Madam Elkin. I had seen she had woken up Remus as well.

"What? What is it?" I demanded alarmed.

"Miss Evans' fever broke," she said smiling.

I breathed a sigh of relief, but then there was still the issue of the parasite.

"What about the parasite?" Remus asked.

"I ran the Gawlet wand over her before," Madam Elkin explained. "For now the parasite seems dormant."

I tossed the covers off of me and swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Remus got up as well.

We went over to Lily, who was wide awake now.

"Hey," I said softly smiling at her. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a two ton Hippogriff stepped on me," she said smiling back.

"Does she know?" I heard Remus asking Madam Elkin.

"Yes," Madam Pince answered. "I don't believe in lying to my patients."

Remus and Madam Elkin came over to me.

"For now, I'm giving her the Vocis Potion once a day," Madam Elkin said. "That seems to be keeping it in check. She'll have to come every day for the potion until we can figure out a way to destroy it once and for all. She'll be able to leave tomorrow. Once I make sure the fever doesn't come back."

I gave Lily a hug and squeeze before leaving the hospital wing.

Remus and I walked side by side down the corridor.

"She has to be alright, Remus," I said as I stopped walking and turned to face him. "She just has to be."

Remus threw his arms around me and pulled me close. I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my chin on top of his shoulder. He hugged me tightly.

"She will be," he whispered in my ear. "Try not to worry okay?"

We just held each other for a while before Remus released me and we continued down the corridor.

Lily was released the next day. She seemed more or less herself, which was a good sign. She went every day for the Vocis potion. She said she didn't care if it kept her from possibly hurting one of us.

Halloween came. The castle was decorated with live bats, pumpkins and every decoration. The morning sickness started to wear down and I was able to get on with the day feeling more myself. We had decided to decorate the common room. I was hanging up orange and black streamers and Lily was helping me. Lily was standing on the table taping the streamers up on the wall. I kept a careful watch on her so she wouldn't fall.

Two of the first years came in, all happy and bouncing around and accidentally knocked into Lily. Lily looked like she had caught her footing but then fell backward, narrowly missing the edge of the mantle piece above the fireplace.

"Are you okay?" I demanded rushing over to her.

"We're sorry," one of the first years, a boy, apologized looking upset.

"It's fine," I said. "But you've got to be more careful."

They nodded and headed off to their dorm.

"You were supposed to keep an eye on me," Lily said, her tone changing suddenly.

"I was," I said. "But I can't catch you. You know that."

Lily got to her feet and stood up. I stood up carefully as well. I was now two months pregnant. I was starting to show slightly, but not much.

"Then why didn't you stop them?" Lily said her eyes narrowing. "You saw them coming in!"

"It was in a split second, Lily! I couldn't do much! I couldn't've caught you!" I said wide-eyed.

"Yeah," Lily snorted. "Because you let that wolf get you pregnant."

I looked at her startled.

Oh my God…is the parasite waking up now? I thought terrified.

Lily stepped over to me and grabbed my neck with one hand. She put her face close to mine.

"You're useless now," Lily snarled. "Just a fat, worthless whore."

She began squeezing my throat.

"Lily," I choked out. "Let go please!"

Lily continued to squeeze my throat.

"Lily please," I pleaded as tears began forming in my eyes.

Suddenly, Lily gasped and raised her hands to her mouth. I sucked in air and looked at her.

"Oh. My. God," Lily said as tears formed in her own eyes. "Caitlin I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," I said as I was finally able to catch my breath.

"I wanted to kill you," she continued as the tears streamed down her cheeks. "Caitlin I'm going to kill you."

"No you're not," I said throwing my arms around her and hugging her. "We're going to figure this out okay?"

I hugged her tightly.

Just then, the portrait entrance opened and Remus entered.

"Is everything okay?" he asked looking from me to Lily.

"I almost killed Caitlin," Lily sobbed as I released her.

"What?" Remus asked alarmed.

I began telling him what had happened.

"But I managed to catch myself before…." Lily's voice trailed off.

"It's okay," Remus said. "The main thing is it was a short outburst. Maybe the Vocis potion is working."

"But maybe next time it won't be a short outburst," Lily said sobbing. "I could actually do it!"

"Just calm down alright?" Remus said soothingly. "Why don't you have a lie down?"

Lily walked past him and he put hand on her shoulder as she passed.

"We're going to find a way to stop this," he said earnestly. "Don't worry. You're going to be fine."

Lily gave him a weak smile as she headed toward the girl's dorm.

Remus came over to me.

"You okay?"

I nodded and burst into tears myself.