Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. All characters belong to a woman with a great imagination and determination, capable of creating this world that is the center of so many stories.
Sins of Angels: Sorry for the delay. And I apologize for the short chapter, but there really wasn't much to write about at this point. Anyway, thanks to all reviewers, you guys rock! W00t! As always, enjoy!
Chapter 40 – Goodbye, Hogwarts
The Easter holidays came and went, nothing stressful happening, save the fact that it brought the N.E.W.T.s ever so closer. Lily was close to a nervous breakdown by the time they were over, and James hadn't even picked up a book, on account of playing pranks with Sirius and the others. He claimed that he didn't need to study, and, after the third time they were over this, Lily just let it go.
However, while James was out with the Marauders, Lily didn't exactly study herself. Instead she spent it relaxing, reading, and thinking. She didn't dare write down what Regulus told her, but she thought about it, thought how to handle it. And every time, she came up with nothing.
Regulus, on the other hand, didn't spend his holidays doing any studying or fun at all. Instead, he was yet again arguing with his "friends", the day before break ended.
"Why not now, then?" Bellatrix asked eagerly. Regulus sighed.
"Why now, cousin? I see no point in doing it now."
"No point? The end of the year is coming, Regulus. Are you suggesting that we wait until they can go into hiding?"
"Use your head, Bella," Snape cut in. "Dumbledore would surely suspect something. What use are we to the Dark Lord if we manage to get thrown in Azkaban over one murder of a Muggleborn?"
"Not a Muggleborn! The Muggleborn! The one he has said was too strong for her own good. The one he said to keep an eye on!"
"Yes, Bella, keep an eyes on. Not murder!" Regulus said hotly. Honestly, the homicidal tendencies in his cousin were getting harder to control. "He only hoped Lily took his words to heart.
"That's the thing, isn't it? That's why he will reward us! We will go out of our way, save him trouble! We'd graduate and instantly be in his inner circle."
"Look, what if he has plans for her?"
"Lucius is behind this!"
"Lucius has only been out of Hogwarts for two years! He's not in the Dark Lord's inner circle!"
"Rodolphus-"
"Same with your husband! Look, it's enough that we snuck them into the school once for that little trick we pulled at the beginning of the year. It took Lucius an arm and a leg to let them ride the Express with us after vacation. They can't risk coming here again. It's just not worth it, Bella!"
"Not worth it? We could gain the Dark Lord's favor so easily and you're passing it up?"
"Or we could die!" Regulus yelled. Bellatrix looked stunned. "What if he had a different plan for her? What if he needs her alive? Us killing her will earn slow and painful deaths at his hand!"
"Why would he need the filthy Mudblood?"
"Lily Evans is nothing if not brilliant in potions and charms," Snape cut in. "She has studied too much to be just easily killed when the Dark Lord can use her knowledge."
Bellatrix fumed. "Fine!" she shrieked, throwing her hands in the air. "Wait until we leave this hell-hole! Protect the damn Mudblood!"
"It's not about protection," Snape said calmly. Bellatrix turned to him sharply.
"Not about protection, Severus? I've seen the way you look at her, the way you sneak glances when you think no one's looking! You've fallen under her spell! The lust in your eyes is unmistakable! Don't you dare tell me it's not about protection!"
"You don't know what you're talking about!" Snape yelled, standing up.
"I know more than you, you coward!"
"Coward? COWARD?" Snape yelled angrily, his wand pointing at Bellatrix's neck. "Just a simple little spell, Bella, and we'll see who the coward is!" he whispered.
"Severus! Enough!" Regulus called out. Snape slowly put his wand away, glaring at Bellatrix.
"Choose your words wisely, woman. The Dark Lord will not tolerate your short temper," Snape warned and strode off. He left the dorm room and slammed the door.
Bellatrix turned back to Regulus. "He always gets the last word, doesn't he?" she said.
"Have patience, cousin. We'll get Evans soon enough," Regulus said quietly. He moved over to his bed and sat down.
"You've been a good boy lately, haven't you, Regulus?" Bellatrix asked sweetly.
Does that woman this of anything besides death and sex? "I suppose."
"I daresay it's time you are rewarded. You seem to be able to keep your head in a crisis," Bellatrix said, sitting next to him on the bed.
What the hell? "Why, cousin, are you suggesting what I think you are?"
For an answer, she locked the door and removed her shirt.
The next few months were spent in mayhem. The seventh and fifth years had the small knowledge that they were safe from pranks until their tests were over, on Lily's insistence. However, this didn't stop the Marauders from dying everyone else's hair magenta for a week, leaving several fake "surprises" for McGonagall to find, causing Dumbledore's hat to become a very confused newt, and, in general, spending most of their time on their precious jokes. They finally settled down a bit during the actual N.E.W.T.s. While James and Sirius took them and then laughed about it, Peter seemed worried, even though he only had to worry about one in Charms. Remus and Lily seemed to be the only ones willing to study. As a result, the other three were constantly being told to go away while Lily and Remus quizzed each other. This also resulted in large amounts of butterbeer to turn up every night unexpectedly.
So, after the last N.E.W.T., Lily and Remus decided to let loose. By jumping into the lake.
"Merlin, that water's cold!" Lily said as she shivered. James threw his cloak around her.
"Well, what'd you go and do that for?" he asked. Lily looked at him. He was just as wet as she was.
"You followed!"
"You led."
"High spirits cloud my judgment," Remus mumbled from beneath his cloak, which was dry a minute ago, but was visibly becoming wetter. Lily nodded.
"And tell Sirius if he doesn't stop laughing at me, I'll hex him!" Lily yelled loud enough to reach the laughing Marauder, who was sitting under a tree. The same tree he had been sitting after his O.W.L.s in fifth year.
"Sorry, Lily!" Sirius said in between gales of laughter. "It's just…too…funny!"
With a flick of her wand, Sirius was suspended upside down by his ankles.
"Hey! Let me go!"
Lily carefully guided him over the lake. "Deep breath now!"
"You're cruel!" Sirius said just before he hit the water and came out just as soaked as they were. Lily carefully guided him back to the shore and let him down. Now Peter was the only one laughing.
"Shut up, Peter, before I do it to you!" Sirius snapped and Peter shut up, walked over to them, and sat down, smiling contently at being the only one dry.
"Aguamenti!" Sirius cried and soon Peter was soaked as well. He stopped smiling in the wake of everyone else laughing.
"What'd you do that for, Padfoot?" he said irritably, taking off his wet cloak.
"You were the only one left dry," James said. "Sirius just beat me to it."
Slowly, the five made their way back to the tree. Sirius began turning random patches of grass different colors. Peter cheered him on, while Remus started doing the leaves on the tree. Pretty soon it looked like a scene from a surreal painting.
James sat against the bark, Lily laying her head on his chest. He looked down at her and smiled. She was his. Finally, she was his.
"Lily," he said. She turned to look at him.
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
She smiled. "I love you too."
James looked at her, marveling at her beauty. "Marry me," he said softly.
"What?" Lily asked. He didn't just propose, did he?
"Lily," James said, spinning her to stand upright. He went down on one knee, taking out a small package he's been carrying since Easter. "Will you marry me?"
Lily looked at him. He was proposing. To her! Along with the brilliant colors around them, it seemed almost…magical.
The effect was somewhat spoiled by Sirius's cry of "Oh, bugger. He's gone and settled down."
Sins of Angels: Well, that's it! "Joyful Sadness" is complete! Boy, what a relief, I usually never finish things. This is where I'm stopping, because the last chapter number had to either be a multiple of ten, or a prime number, because I'm weird like that. Anyway, thank you to all my readers! It's finally ended. Now I'll probably start to finish the prequel and only after that will I fill in the gap I've left between this and the last day of their life. Thank you to all those who went along for the ride, and hope you had fun!