A/N: wow. I updated! Perhaps it was because of all your reviews… hint 12 whole reviews made me happy XD I have decided that I would like you to keep it up, so at least as many this time too please, or I will take ages to review

Mua hahahahaha!

Ok just ignore me, I'm in a strange mood…

Anyway, enjoy

Ooh

WARNING: this chapter contains violence, so if you don't like stuff like that, don't read it, but it's not too bad and I would love you to read it… and I'm rambling shuts up

Disclaimer: you know the drill…

Chapter 8: Hurt

I was on the ground on my stomach. He sat on my back. He pounded my skull into the brick. He cursed me. He turned me around and sat on my chest. I was babbling. I was begging. Here is where he wrapped his hands around my neck and began to squeeze. For a second, I lost consciousness, when I came to I knew I was staring up into the eyes of the man who would kill me.

- Lucky – Alice Sebold -

It was the last day of the Seventh Years' mock NEWTS and there was an air of happiness and relief in the Gryffindor common room that night. Virtually most of the younger students had been kicked out and Seventh Years were sprawled all over the common room, doing anything they liked for the first time in weeks. The Marauders, in particular, were indulging themselves, passing round several bottles of firewhisky. Peter was already half-asleep, hiccoughing half-heartedly, Remus was sipping his firewhisky half-heartedly, whereas Sirius was completely pissed and talking about god-knows-what what the top of his voice. Only James hadn't touched the stuff. He'd been in a bad mood for over a month now, ever since the day Lily had started going out with Malfoy. Arguments between Lily and James had become a regular occurrence, and everyone was so sick of it that they had been kicked out of the Gryffindor common room several times for arguing too loudly.

James glanced over at the other side of the common room where Lily sat with Hannah, talking and laughing animatedly. James had noticed that Lily had been in a better mood ever since that fateful breakfast, this only served to upset James further. He just couldn't see how it was physically possible for her to go out with that moron. It made him seethe inside whenever he saw them together, every time Malfoy touched her he felt his fingers ball up into fists and wanted more than anything to beat the living shit out of 'that manipulating bastard', as he liked to put it.

'Any idea why Hannah broke up with that Ravenclaw boyfriend of hers?' Asked Remus absentmindedly, startling James out of his reverie.

'I dunno, got bored?' He answered, shrugging, tearing his eyes away from Lily in the corner of the room with great effort.

'What? Hannah boyfriendless? When did this happen? Why wasn't I informed?' Sirius exclaimed indignantly.

'You were informed,' Remus clarified 'you were just too busy making out with what's her name … Amy, that's the one, to hear.' Sirius grinned goofily.

'Ah yes, she was good, she…'

'Please don't go into the details!' Remus cried, for which he received a glare from Sirius.

'Anyway, I know why Hannah dumped that Ravenclaw dude, she's so attracted to me, she couldn't take it anymore!' at which James snorted

'Yeah, sure, she's as bad as Evans there, she would never go out with a marauder.'

'Hey!' Sirius cried indignantly 'what's wrong with me?'

'Well, it could be that you're dribbling firewhisky all over your shirt…' Remus sniggered

'Girls find that attractive' Sirius shrugged

'No they really don't'

'Girls would find me attractive if I was covered in cowpat from head to foot!'

'Eugh, I did not need that image!' Sirius grinned at the look on Remus' face.

'Evans!' James jumped up from the couch as he saw Lily heading for the portrait, 'Wait up!' Lily continued walking. James caught up with her, swivelling her round by grabbing her arm. She tried to shake him off, but he wouldn't let her go. She sighed in exasperation.

'What do you want Potter?'

'Where are you off to?'

'Can't see how that's any of your business,' she snapped

'Oh God, you're going out to see him again!'

'So what if I am?'

'Just dump him! He's using you!'

'And do you have any evidence of that?' she eyed him coldly

'He's a Malfoy, and a Slytherin, it says it all.'

'You're right Potter, it does. It says that you're an arrogant big headed moron who is jealous of anyone who stands in his way, preventing him from sleeping with every girl in the bloody school!' She screamed, wrenching her arm out of his grasp and running out of the common room.

'Why don't you just drop it mate?' Remus asked as James flopped down on the couch, a pained expression on his face.

'Because that bastard's up to something! I … don't want her hurt.' Remus' expression hardened slightly.

'She's happy, so leave it, you've done enough already to make her unhappy.' He stood up and left to read a book, occupying the place where Lily and Hannah had just been sitting, a sullen expression on his face. James frowned, wondering what had gotten into Remus; he wasn't usually one to make unjustified accusations…

'Hey! Where'd Hannah go!' exclaimed Sirius, looking round the common room wide-eyed.

Lily wasn't happy. Lucius was arrogant, tiresome, and from what she had seen, not a very nice person. Several times he had taunted first years, shouting extremely offensive things at them. Lucius found himself getting away with many more things than he had before now that he was going out with Lily. And he intended to keep it that way. But tonight, he had something bigger in mind.

Lily asked, as they walked along the darkened corridors, the hand holding hers was cold and clammy, to be honest, not very nice to hold at all, but she put up with it. She would show Potter. She stopped suddenly, halting mid-step. Was she really doing all this just to prove Potter wrong? She shook her head, annoyed with herself. Of course not, she was going out with Lucius because she needed a boyfriend to take her mind off other things, like Hannah had said. 'Sorry' she said, smiling at Lucius and resuming walking. 'Where are we going?'

'You'll see, it's a surprise' Lucius smirked. Lily hated it when he smirked, it sent shivers down her spine, she shrugged it off. Stupid Potter, making her feel apprehensive of her own boyfriend… They stopped again. 'We're here'

An empty classroom?' Lily asked, raising an eyebrow, putting on a smile.

'Yes' said Lucius simply, holding the door open for her. 'Sit' he said, closing the door behind him. A frown creased Lily's forehead, this certainly wasn't what she had expected to be doing in an empty classroom with her boyfriend.

'We need to talk'

'Well I guessed as much.' lily shrugged, 'What about?'

'Potter.' Lily's eyes widened.

'What about him?'

'I've noticed you spend a lot of time with him and his friends.'

'It's not my fault he watches my every move, you can't say I encourage it! It irritates the hell out of me actually…'

'I wasn't accusing you of anything' Lucius smirked, as if in on some private joke he didn't want to share.

'Well, what do you want to talk about then?' Lily asked, still very confused.

'It has come to the Dark Lord's attention that Potter possesses some information that could be of great use to us…' he was cut off by a very unladylike snort from Lily. He glared at her.

'You can't be serious!' she laughed 'Voldermort? That ex-Slytherin crackpot?' Malfoy raised his arm and slapped her hard across the face, causing Lily to cry out and almost knocking her out of her seat, leaving a hand-shaped mark on her face.

'Do NOT insult the Dark Lord! You filthy mudblood bitch!' he spat. Lily put her hand to her burning cheek and glared at Lucius. 'Anyway,' he said, resuming the conversation as if nothing had just happened, 'you are in a very useful position for us-'

'Us?' Lily cut him off once more, 'next you'll be telling me you're one of those hooded lunatics who run round in those gay masks killing people.' For this she received another slap, this time she didn't make a sound, she clenched her teeth and took it silently, glaring coldly at Malfoy, even though her cheek was smarting more than ever.

'I need you to put veritaserum in Potter's drink, nothing difficult. I'll take care of the rest. The Dark Lord will be very grateful.' Lily stared at him dumfounded. Was he completely off his rocker?

'You can't make me' she said in a steely voice, following it up by spitting in his eye.

'You'd be surprised, Lily flower, that I can.' With that he raised his fist, throwing a punch at her face, she ducked at the last minute, Malfoy's fist didn't collide with her nose and crush it, as was undoubtedly his intention, instead, it hit her just above the eye. Lily discovered that it really hurt. Just as Lucius was about to hit her again, the door burst open and in stumbled a very drunk Sirius.

'Hey, you guys, have you seen Hannah, cos she wants me bad an' I can't find her anywhere…' When he saw Malfoy standing over Lily, he came the only conclusion his drunken mind could muster 'whoopsy daisy!' he giggled 'didn't realise you two were busy there…'

Lily took her chance. She kicked Lucius hard in the shin, ducked from underneath him and sprinted out of the room as fast as her legs would carry her, leaving Lucius hopping round on one foot and clutching his leg. Sirius stood by the doorway with a dumbfounded expression on his face. 'Oops… I think I'll leave you to it then….' He slurred and hurried out of the room in search of Hannah.

Lily burst into the Head's common room, out of breath. She had hoped James would be in bed by now, but no such luck. He sat on a couch by the smouldering fire. Waiting for her. Lily attempted to walk past quickly, without showing her face, but unsuccessfully.

'I see you're back.' He said coldly, turning towards her.

'I do not need another argument right now' she snapped, her voice came out watery and uneven. Just then James saw her face.

'Oh my god Lily! Are you all right?' He was at her side in seconds, hugging her to him protectively, stroking her hair. If Lily was confused, she didn't say so. She let him hold her for a minute or two; she felt tears welling up in her eyes. She was determined not to cry in front of James again.

'You were right James' she whispered before running to her room and letting the tears flow.

That night James lay in bed, unable to sleep. Malfoy had hit Lily; he was going to kill that bastard. What sort of person hits a girl, who could ever possibly be evil enough to hit Lily? Just then it struck him that she had used his first name… James shrugged it off: look at the state she was in, it couldn't have meant anything.

He was jolted awake at 3am by a bloodcurdling scream from next door. Lily was having one of her nightmares again. This had happened every night since that time he had found her sprawled in the autumn leaves outside the shrieking shack. James wanted to leap out of bed and run next door, to hug her, to comfort her, to kiss away the pain. But he knew he couldn't. So he lay in bed, listening to her sobbing into her pillow until she had cried herself to sleep.

James couldn't sleep again that night. He got up at 5am, showered quickly and went down to see the house elves. He needed their help.

A/N: Drunken Sirius was to fun to write! I shall be marrying him one day…

Anyway, I hoped you all liked this chapter, please review and let me know what you think!

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