Disclaimer: All the fantastic characters from Harry Potter sadly do not belong to me. You have Mrs. Rowling to thank.
Summary: Thrust together through a mysterious series of events, James and Lily need each other more than they realize, whether they like it or not. Witness the life-changing adventure of a boy without a place in the world, the girl who rules it, and a necessity of the most wonderful kind.
A/N: It's rather odd how an idea will pop into your head and no matter what you do, it just won't go back into the recesses of your mind. So, this is the result. (motions to story below) It's AU, what with medieval kingdoms and such, but it's magically Harry Potter-esque nonetheless (at least, I hope so). So, enjoy a break from normality, won't you? Tell me what you think of it! I'm still rather new at this.
Enjoy!
Chapter One: It Began With PieThe day was young. The air was cool. The pies were fresh.
Oh yes. The pies.
So warm on a day like this. Filling. Handmade. So easy to steal.
For in a town like this, pies were cooled on windowsills and, by golly, they would cool!
And they drew thieves like honey drew flies.
A minor setback.
The thieves came with the morning. They thrived in the night. They sulked in the corners. They were your best friends. They were your milkmen. For all you knew, it could be your own grandmother. Impossible to track down. Smooth talking. Reclusive. Dirty. And on the occasion…hungry.
A small hand felt around the windowsill, shuffling for its contents, searching for breakfast. The grubby fingers were thick with grime and soot. With a 'plop' the hand landed in the pie and withdrew, trailing apple filling. A faint sucking sound ensued and clean(er) fingers reappeared, taking the whole pie down with them this time. Unfortunately, pie was heavier than it looked.
Messier, too.
Bright eyes looked at the surroundings and slowly moved, as if any sudden movements would draw the Guard in a heartbeat. With painfully slow precision the small boy moved his feet with care and slunk away from the window that still held the smell of fresh pie. Taking the pie off of his head, the boy delighted in his treasure and was almost giddy with excitement. As he moved towards the shadows of the alleyways that he had come to know like the back of his hand, he ate the pie quickly. He shoved a morsel into his pant pocket for future occasions. He devoured the last bit of pie and closed his eyes, savoring the taste, hoping the flavor would be etched into his memory forev--
"You there!"
His eyes snapped open and he nearly choked on his last bite of pie.
"You! I say! Halt!"
The boy turned his neck swiftly, which prompted a 'pop' and a "Golly!"
Rubbing his small hand around his neck soothingly, the boy looked in front of him towards the area of where he had heard the voice. Common Sense would have told him to run but currently Common Sense was on vacation to a slightly less troublesome situation than the present.
Raising a scruffy eyebrow the boy shrugged his shoulders, which, in turn, tensed at an alarming rate when another hand encircled his neck.
"Just as I suspected."
The boy wriggled and thrashed from instinct, intent on releasing himself from the vice-like grip. "Gerroff! I didn't do anything! Innocent! L'eggo!" The rest of his pleas trailed off into strange gurgling noises.
"Do you think yourself clever boy?" The voice was harsh, like sand paper, and made the situation none the better. "On a day like this?" The man produced a gravelly laugh and the boy tried prying at the thick fingers currently around his neck, finding nothing funny about the circumstances he found himself in.
He felt the man release his neck slightly but as soon as the boy gulped for air he let it out in a swift "Oh!" as the man clamped cold chains around his wrists. The metal was a cold contrast to the pleasant-though-increasingly-breezy morning and the child pulled and squirmed, though it was apparent that there was nothing he could do.
Growing weary from this latest development the boy decided to chance a glance at his captor.
"Thieves these days, nothing like back when I was a boy. Slackers and idiots, the lot of you," the man replied to himself. His Guard badge glimmered in the thin rays of the morning sunlight and he grinned disdainfully from behind his perpetual five o'clock shadow. "The boys and I had a bet to see who could snatch the most criminals today. And I, modest and humble," and here he smirked, "I am inclined to believe that I am in the lead as of-" he promptly locked the chains around the boys thin wrists with a 'click', "-now."
The boy sighed and his arms fell to his sides as he gazed imploringly at the giant before him. The guard, aware of the child's gaze, scowled and pulled on the chains, heading out into the sunlit street. Realizing escape was useless this time the child complied and trudged behind. He squinted as the morning sunlight bathed his face in a golden yellow and accented the pie filling that still covered his face and hair.
"Quite a mess you've gotten yourself into, rat. The King does enjoy his pies. He won't appreciate you stealing from the Royal Bakery. And today of all days…"
'Pop'
"Jiminy!" The boy rubbed his neck once more and squinted disbelievingly at the guard.
"Royal Bakery? Toda--"
"Silence!" The boy was jerked forward and he and the guard weaved in and out of the growing crowd. Carts and horses inched along the streets. Vendors cried their sales and offered sampled of their produce. Roosters crowed and pigs wallowed in the scarce dirt along the cobble-stoned pathways.
Though the boy was not used to being out openly in the village during the day, he appeared to recognize the streets and buildings fairly well. A woman carrying bread loaves pushed past him while another man walked on carrying flowers. Doves flew overhead in a flurry of feathers and a butcher opened his store windows, letting the smell of new meat waft by. Soon, bright and vivid banners carrying the king's crest caught the boy's eye.
The guard yanked on the chains and they pushed through a crowd, but the boy turned his head to see the banners hanging from the buildings. Ribbons of red and gold caught in the wind and fluttered from them while the crest was boldly outlined in crimson. Another person rushed by and the boy vaguely observed that the crowd was becoming larger with each step. He frowned, attempting to guess what was causing all of the excitement. Being cast aside most of the time, he usually could not fathom the day-to-day occurrences of the village besides when market day was. He knew the streets of the village better than any cartographer, but of the people and events he had not a clue. Trying to look above the shoulders and heads, his eyes grew brighter at the sight of the castle beyond.
"Almost there," was the guard's terse observation as he shoved aside a particularly stubborn, and fairly colorful, merchant who was determined to sell and rather large toad. The oddly dressed vendor glared at the guard but cast a glance at the scruffy boy. His eyes softened and—and was that a wink?
The boy tried to avert the stares, though most of the people were too busy to notice the disheveled one in his chains. Nonetheless, a red blush rose to his cheeks and he hung his head.
What would the others think? He would be locked up. Would they even notice? Care? At all? Did they even remember he left in the first place? He was sure he had told them. They seemed rather enthusiastic about it. It was pie after all. Everybody loved pie.
He sighed audibly and the guard turned to him sharply. The child shrunk back at the Patrolman's stare but returned the glare when the large man's back was turned. They took a left turn between two large buildings and headed down a less crowded street, one that drew away from the castle. Taking one last longing glance at the palace, he swiveled his head around and stared at the road beneath him. The boy assumed this was where the prison or dungeon was, though he had never been locked up before. A few of the others had but they rarely spoke of it. Either that or they never came back.
After a few minutes the boy noted that there were very few people along this dusty cobblestone road and the lack of noise caused his hearing to sharpen. The sound of horse hooves faintly echoed behind him.
Trudging along, he kicked a dusty rock into a nearby alleyway between two shops for amusement, before even that was taken away from him as the guard yanked on the chains once more.
He heard the rock clatter off the wall and down the alley.
The boy looked ahead at the dismal gray stone building threatening him further on up the road. A sense of dread filled him and he, instead, looked away. He gazed at the various tavern and shops beside the road, instead.
The creaking of a carriage was audible farther behind him, he noted vaguely, as he eyed his chains and contemplated how strong they really were.
Suddenly, he felt something bump into his ankle.
Peering down, he saw it was the dusty rock he had carelessly kicked moments ago.
He stared incredulously at the rock at his feet and gaped at the dark alleyway. Then, there was a flash, like light on a sword blade. The clip-clop of hooves on stone sounded behind him and the guard began tugging on the chains for him to move out of the middle of the road. He blinked, remaining where he was, and stared mesmerized into the abyss that was the alleyway.
"There's something-"
Was that movement he saw? Somebody was slowly moving in the shadows with calculated precision. One final, fierce tug and the boy turned towards the guard and then-
All he could remember was a large whooshing noise, like that of a speeding arrow, and he was knocked clean off of his feet. His head fell against the cobblestone with a resounding 'crack' and bright lights danced across his vision. A looming dark object was careening towards him at an alarming rate and the boy dimly thought he should probably get out the way.
Too late.
He heard a horse whinny and the clatter of wooden wheels on stone. A loud 'clunk' reverberated in his ears and his arms currently felt like they were slowly being ripped off as his body was lifted up and then dropped, like a forgotten rag doll.
And then…nothing.
Time passed. The boy breathed in slowly and let the breath out quickly.
So far so good. He was alive. That was always reassuring. He tried to lift his arms but horrifyingly found that he was unable to do so. As he moved, a searing pain shot through his shoulder and back. Instantly, thoughts of living a crippled life in the shadows begging for crumbs danced through his mind.
But, then he realized that he did that halfway anyway. So, he relaxed, if only for a moment, and then decided to investigate this predicament.
Lifting his head ever so slightly and ignoring the throbbing pain in his temple he glanced on one side and saw that a rather large carriage wheel pinned down his arm. On the other side he saw that his arm wasn't covered by anything. It was just bent at a peculiar angle. Slowly turning his head he looked around him. It was dark. How-?
The impact must have landed him in an alleyway, he concluded, with a surprising amount of logic for one who had just been tossed like a salad by a carriage. He could barely make out the thin rays of the noon sun leaking through the cracks in between the two shops on either side of him. Dust swirled around in the air and he could hear distant voices coming from farther away, on the other side of what he assumed was the wreck.
Blurry. Everything was hazy.
Squinting his eyes, he soon grasped that his makeshift glasses had been lost in the mayhem.
"What luck," he croaked to no one in particular, for he was sure this alleyway was empty. A creak of wood, however, made him rethink this assumption. He swallowed and peered at his surroundings warily, as he pulled his weight against the trapped arm.
The only result was pain and a series of unpleasant popping noises.
There was another groan of wood and a few pieces of rubble clattered down the pile of lumber that had once been a carriage. The boy, starting to feel unnerved, glanced around (though nearly blind he was) and looked for any possible enemies. He shrunk back, which was hard to do with one apparently useless arm, and did his best to become invisible. A crash from somewhere near the pile captured his attention and he tried his best to see what was going on in front of him while acting invisible at the same time.
As if watching in slow motion, an ethereal figure rose from the debris and…promptly toppled over. After a few pieces of wreckage plunked down the ruins all fell silent.
Silent, that is, until someone…or something (for the boy was open-minded most of the time and wouldn't rule out monsters) coughed faintly.
Instinct told the boy to run and run fast (or at least blame it on the nearest innocent bystander), but curiosity nudged him with its elbow and he built up enough nerves to ask, "W-who's there?"
He heard nothing except the settling of debris until the slightest noise told him someone was most certainly there.
Realizing he wasn't fully sure he wanted to meet whoever happened to be occupying the same alleyway as him, he tentatively but hastily (never a very successful combination) tried freeing his arm once more. There was another rather loud 'pop' and he shut his eyes tightly. "Oh bother." The searing pain in his shoulder didn't offer much condolence either.
"Oh dear," a soft voice muttered and he heard…pity? How long it had been since he had heard pity, he couldn't remember. The sound of slippered feet shuffling across the ground came closer.
He slowly opened one eye and saw a white blob kneeling beside the carriage wheel that was currently keeping his arm captive. Serious enemy…or just enemy? He couldn't tell yet. Maybe if he played dead the blob would lose interest. Deciding it was worth a shot, the boy plopped his head down…onto the hard cobblestone.
He made a note to pretend to be dead with less gusto next time. Stars danced around his vision and a face appeared above him. She--for he assumed it was a she because her auburn tresses danced around his face--stared quizzically at him. The stars twinkled in her eyes and fluttered around her hair and he could have believed that she was an angel. But, the glimmering illusions soon faded and her face became out of focus.
"Are-" she started in a soft voice but stopped as the boy groaned as his head began to throb. "Goodness, you don't look very well."
Had his whole mental and physical state not been in agony, he would have commended her for pointing out the obvious.
Suddenly, his arm was on fire. He watched, though suffering nonetheless, as the white blob leaned her back against the wheel, digging her slippered heels into the ground. The wheel shifted and soon released its captive, which was reclaimed by its owner without a second in between.
He cradled his arm against his chest and bit his lip to subdue the pain. The boy looked up as he heard the distinct sound of cloth ripping and soon a white strip of fabric was produced before him.
"Here," the soft voice directed, "I don't know how to make it stop hurting but give me your arm. At least it won't be in your way."
Enemy…or perhaps just a mild opponent? He still couldn't decide but took the cloth anyway. He fumbled with the material for a few awkward moments and found that with his right arm oddly angled, he couldn't do the simplest of things. He felt cold fingers take the fabric from him and fasten it into a makeshift sling. With his arm secure, he propped himself against the carriage wheel and into a sitting position.
The blood rushed to his face and with his vision still blurred, he tottered a bit from dizziness. His shoulder still ached from the pain but the only thing he could think of doing was disregarding it as a rather large bruise. He'd had his fair share of those today, that was for sure.
He felt vulnerable and frowned, wishing he never had an appetite for pie in the first place. He strained to see his surroundings, not believing his luck, and a deep scowl formed in the corners of his mouth. Stupid pie.
The girl tilted her head, looking as if she were analyzing him, and rose from her kneeling position. She began moving aside shards of wood, sifting through the wreckage. A glimmer nearby the alley wall caught her eye and she smiled.
The boy watched her as best as he could while trying to seem indifferent. She took something out of her pocket and began wiping the glimmering object off, swaddling whatever it was in a rag. Soon, she returned by his side and handed him something, remaining silent in the process. He looked at her in what he hoped was an intimidating stare, but with all the confusion he was feeling he was sure he just looked silly. Slowly, he reached for the object but she shoved it eagerly in his hands. Inside the rag were his glasses, slightly battered up, but there nonetheless. Without hesitation, the boy shoved them onto his face and couldn't help but smile as his surroundings became clear. What he first saw was not a rag in his lap, but a finely embroidered handkerchief with the initials 'L.E.' stitched fantastically in red.
"You can keep it, if you'd like. I have others at home."
He looked up at the sound of the refined voice and his glasses slipped down the bridge of his long nose. Pushing them up hastily, he saw the girl formulate right in front of him. No longer a splash of white and red, he was still on the verge of believing she wasn't human at all.
She had delicate features and a feminine jaw. She was young, around the age of ten like him. Shiny (albeit dusty), softly curled tendrils of hair framed her face while the rest of her thick auburn hair was pulled gently back by a white bow. What caught his eye, however, were her eyes. He was sure he had never seen that shade of green before, a green of the most peculiar shade. What a color…
Tilting his head to the side, a nagging thought in the back of his mind told him that she looked familiar.
If the boy took pride in anything, it was his sense of observation (his ability to burp the alphabet came in at a close second). He could remember the faces of many people; especially those he made sure to stay away from. He squinted his eyes and stared at the dusty girl in front of him. Her identity was on the tip of his tongue.
"I assume you know who I am," the girl stated, placing herself on a pile of debris in front of the boy.
Realizing he was ogling, the boy blinked and raised an eyebrow.
He shook his head. "No," he croaked.
She looked taken aback, if only for a second. He was on the verge of asking her if she knew who he was to see her reaction, but held his tongue and chose an alternative question instead.
"Am I supposed to know who you are?" His voice sounded hoarse and a cough reverberated in his chest.
"Oh, well…" She faltered and looked cautiously at the boy, observing his tattered state and skinny frame. "No, no. I was just curious."
Soon, both of the children were staring at each other wearing guarded expressions on their faces. The boy narrowed his eyes but whenever the girl looked at him, he would look down. The girl rubbed a cut on her arm and stared wistfully beyond the wreck, though what she was looking for was obscured by dust. The silence between them was obvious.
And unacceptable.
"I'm James!" the boy nearly shouted. He clasped a hand over his mouth.
The girl looked surprised (if her wide eyes were any indication) but soon her expression changed to amusement. James was surprised as well at his outburst and he stared at the girl, afraid of what she was going to do to him now that she knew his name. He was debating on running off, but found with his current physical state, the most he could probably do was hobble. Before he could think any more of retreating the girl offered him a bright smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"I'm Lily. Pleased to be of your acquaintance." Lily offered the back of her small hand to James for him to kiss, as was procedure (at least to her), though it seemed out of place in the current situation. He debated with himself. Mild opponent…or random antagonist? He looked at her hand for a moment, not sure of what to do.
Etiquette? Was that a foreign dish?
James used his oddly angled arm to place his hand in hers and shook it roughly.
Slightly jostled, Lily stared at him in astonishment.
James gradually stopped shaking and stared at their clasped hands. As if Lily was the plague itself he drew back his hand quickly. Lily, too, drew back her hand but unlike James, she slowly placed it in her lap. Soon her hands were preoccupied with playing with the lace on her dress.
James furrowed his dark brows, as if in deep concentration, as the two found themselves once again immersed in a silence that, for reasons neither of them could fathom, was not allowed. She looked at him and the corners of her mouth twitched as she watched James' obvious awkwardness.
"I appreciate…well, er…thanks," he mumbled, looking at the redhead before him and quickly looking away. "For m-…for my glasses, the wheel…too. It…was-"
"Oh, well I couldn't have just left you here," she interjected.
"No, no. You probably couldn't have," he mumbled, feeling slightly confused. Sitting on top of his debris pile he looked shrewdly at the girl. He looked at her disheveled appearance and curiosity emboldened him to ask, "How exactly did you end up in this alleyway?"
She raised an eyebrow and looked from James to the wrecked carriage.
"I was in the carriage," she stated, when James didn't appear to understand.
His eyebrows rose beneath his messy black hair.
"I suppose you happened to be in the alleyway, then?" she implored.
It was his turn to look knowing, and he smiled grimly before stating, "I was in front of the carriage."
"Oh, dear. That would explain the carriage wheel."
"I guess so." He stopped and looked around him and at last at Lily, who looked like she was expecting more to his story. Deciding it couldn't (or at least shouldn't) hurt to explain, he went on. "Everything happened awfully fast for me this morning."
"For you, too? It must be one of those days," she replied, as if they were talking over breakfast.
Noting her polished appearance, he wasn't sure what troubles she could possibly have.
Lily cast a fleeting glance at his skeptical look and smoothed her dress as best she could, fiddling with her fingers before turning to the boy again.
"Today's my tenth birthday, is all."
James considered this for a second.
"Jiminy, what a way to age, eh? Ending up in a pile of rubble…not exactly what I'd call a party. There are worse ways, sure, but blimey…there's no fun in a carriage crash."
"No, no. There's not." She sighed. "I was on my way to attend a family outing, you see. Roberts was taking me out in the town for some fresh air before…" she trailed off and prodded a piece of debris with her foot. Looking around, she commented, "Truthfully, I have no idea where I am." Her voice shook and emotion crossed her delicate features, replacing the refined ones that had graced them previously. "I don't suppose Roberts passed by while-" But, James shook his head to negate her question. "I do hope he's alright. The horses as well. They were fine horses." Again, James nodded.
"It's still hard to understand what happened this morning, don't you agree?" Lily rubbed her arm where the cut had appeared but she didn't have to look at James for him to realize she was close to tears, quite the contrast from minutes before.
"I guess," was his uncomfortable reply.
"One minute you're picking out a party dress and the next…"
"Erm, I don't suppose I could relate in that-"
"And…and, being miles from home and all."
"Sure, home."
"I'm a bit sore as well."
"Well, there's something I can relate-"
Lily blinked rather rapidly and sniffed. "Oh, this is dreadful." She rubbed her eyes.
James didn't understand girls, the very few he had actually met. One minute they were moving carriage wheels and the next they lost their composure completely. How strange.
"Er…there, there. There'll be…other birthdays. Sure. More birthdays. You'll always have that to look forward to. Er…" James rubbed his neck and his cheeks glowed under Lily's watery stare. "Sure. Tenth birthdays. Two numbers. Big deal. You'll have a whole decade of that."
She sniffled and her eyes crinkled. "What a day," she repeated and sighed. James remembered the handkerchief in his hand and handed it to Lily as if it were made of glass. Lily's eyes were grateful as she took it from his hands and rubbed her nose delicately.
"That's not fooling anybody," James commented nonchalantly, rearranging his bad arm in his sling. Lily blushed and turned from James, sitting quietly before casting a curious glance at James and then loudly blowing her nose in the finely stitched hanky.
James felt pity for the girl before him and her ruined birthday though he wasn't completely sure what a non-ruined birthday felt like.
"Well, birthday's aren't as corked up as most people make them out to be," James replied, hoping this was some sort of consolation.
Lily wiped her nose with finality. "Oh, but they are James."
"Yeah, what? Family? Bah, they only nag I'm sure. Friends? They're all jealous of your presents. Cake? Well…yes, cake. There's nothing wrong with cake. So, in reality, that's all you have going for you."
Lily's face held the expression of being truly dumbfounded
"So, you're telling me, birthday extraordinaire, that the only reason I should look forward to my birthday is for the cake because my friends and family consider me lower than a floor mop?"
"Putting it simply, of course. I could go on."
"How strange," Lily murmured.
"Birthdays? I agre-"
"No, you." Lily snorted.
"Oh," James replied, slightly deflated.
"You must have not had many good birthdays then, have you?"
James blinked.
"Oh…oh, I was only…you really haven't have you? Oh…" Lily sputtered more before her cheeks bloomed red and she stopped.
"Well, it's not like I miss having a birthday…Oh, who cares anyway? Nobody else does so I won't either," he stated forcefully. Lily cast a sideways glance at the scruffy boy, but said nothing.
She sighed faintly and leaned back, her head tilted towards the sky.
"Oh, I hadn't realized how late it was getting."
James, too, looked up. The sun was no longer visible with the arrival of dark clouds. A breeze that was on the verge of being brisk whistled through the alleyway.
"James, I think I should find my way home," Lily said, grabbing at the wall to help herself up.
The boy stared.
"James?"
He looked up to see Lily in front of him.
"Oh right, right. Home." James moved to get up but found his nerves to be in fantastic order. "Bugger…pain…"
"Here, that won't do."
Despite James' attempts to ward off her help, Lily grabbed James by his good arm and slowly managed to bring him up to some sort of standing position, though he reached for wall as he wobbled uneasily.
"Think you can stand on your own?"
James, affronted, replied, "Stand on my own? I can probably jump on my own, too. Why stop there? I'll sprint on my own if you'd just let go of my--"
He slid back down as Lily let go.
"Liar." She rolled her eyes and pulled at James again until his arm was slung over her shoulder. James winced, a piercing sting branching out on his back. "There. Right, the question is…where to now?" Lily swiveled her head around, asking the question to the whole alleyway.
Her only response was a gust of wind that nearly knocked the two children over.
James' hair was now standing on end in a frenzied fashion. "If that was any indication, I think we shouldn't even move."
"Oh, come now, a gentle breeze going to stop you James?" Lily teased, still searching for a way out from the alleyway as her bright hair fluttered into James' face. James, disgruntled, scowled and mimicked Lily's voice. "Oh, come now…"
"Shh, James. I'm trying to find some opening."
"What am I? Four? Let me stand, I can."
"You cannot," Lily assured, her voice tinted with an edge of imperious.
It was then that James began to become annoyed with this person…this girl, telling him what to do. Only he told himself what to do. It was one of the rules he lived, and survived by. The nerve of her! Where did she get the gall to order him around?
"I," James said slowly, "know these alleyways better than anyone in this village." Lily waved him off distractedly as she moved over towards the wreck with the boy in tow.
"Especially someone, like you, who's never even walked the streets," he added as an afterthought, albeit bitter.
"You, who hardly know me, can say this?" Lily scoffed softly. "Appearances aren't everything, James."
"But you haven't, have you?" James continued, ignoring Lily's words. She began to glower as she used her foot to prod the carriage wreck.
"It doesn't matter if I have or hav-oh! Oh no. No…"Lily stumbled back in horror. James, his attention on Lily, now turned his head to see the source of her fear.
Had Lily not tripped over a plank of splintered wood, sending her and James toppling backwards, the boy might have seen a pale hand protruding from beneath the carnage.
Lily caught her footing and grabbed onto James to prevent him from falling. They skidded a few steps until Lily placed a hand on James' back to steady herself. James found his balance but leaned heavily on Lily regardless. They stopped and stood still.
"That was close," James breathed, face pale and eyes wide.
"I…I…R-roberts…" Lily shivered, and looked at James, her eyes brimming with tears. She turned her head away from him and removed her hand from his back as the two were standing now, albeit shakily, but standing nonetheless. She took out the handkerchief from a pocket in her dress and blew her nose, loudly and without restraint.
James cast a glance at the lifeless hand that Lily had spotted earlier, and felt himself shudder at the thought that that could have been him.
Or Lily.
"We're rather lucky, don't you th-what's wrong? Lily?" James faced Lily and saw that her eyes were wide in shock, with a fixation on her hand that she held out in front of her.
It was…red.
"Was that from the handkerchief?"
"Turn around, James," Lily snapped, her eyes traveling from her crimson hand to James' face.
"Turn around? What is this? Hide and Seek? Because now it really not the time…"
"I'm…oh! Why do I even bother asking?" She grabbed James by the shoulders and rotated him, as he cried out in indignation. He opened his mouth to state his rights as a human being but soon was quieted as Lily returned to face him.
"T-there's something in your…" She stopped. "There is something," she said slowly, measuring her words, "in your back."
James' eyebrows rose beneath his frenzied hair. "There's something…in my back? Don't you mean there's something on my back?"
The bullying wind made ripples in Lily's hair, which she shook from side to side.
"No. No, James. There is something sticking out of your…back." Her eyebrows knitted with worry.
James regarded the fact that his back, just below his shoulder, did feel wretched.
"That explains a lot," he said, craning his head over his shoulder in hopes of catching a glimpse of the parasite.
As he was spinning around to spot whatever was embedded in his back a large gust of wind barreled down the alleyway. Lily herself was stumbling backwards, but it was James, caught unawares, who was pushed straight to the ground.
He landed on his back.
His cry bounced off of the stonewalls of the alleyway.
Lily, aghast and distressed, leapt to James' side.
He rolled over in agony. The back of his poorly made shirt was the dark, rich scarlet of blood. It was the same color as Lily's hand. She eyed the object protruding from his back warily. It was now more embedded than before, the effect of the fall. However, there was no denying what it was, though she could not see the sharp point that she knew was now in James' back. The long, thin piece of wood visible was plain, not like the weapons her father's friends used. Those were finely decorated, though weapons they were, in her father's colors. She glared at the hateful thing.
That odious arrow.
In the back of her mind she knew there were more selfish things she could have done in a moment like this, like running off. But, her chest felt heavy with compassion she didn't know she had.
Looking at the boy, she was at odds with what to do. This certainly wasn't what one learned in Etiquette Class. Knowing 30-something ways to express yourself using only a fan wasn't particularly helpful in a situation like this. Oh, curses…
As James silently sobbed in the dirt, Lily ripped another section from the hem of her dress. Taking the cloth she again reached for James. He didn't move, aside from the sobs that wracked his body, so Lily inched closer. Staring at his face, she slowly placed the cloth on his back. He flinched and blindly swung a hand out, hitting Lily squarely in the cheek. Lily recoiled stared in astonishment at the boy sprawled out on the ground, holding her cheek with both hands. James, in realization of what he had done, lifted his head to the girl beside him.
"I've…you…I've never…" Lily felt more hot tears springing from her eyes.
The boy had no energy left to apologize, nor to sob, finding no solace in the world surrounding him. Burying his head in his arms, he moaned until he grew quiet.
Lily rubbed her cheek once more, watching James warily. Sniffing loudly and wiping her nose on her sleeve, Lily narrowed her eyes and swiftly grabbed the cloth. Before James could protest, Lily forcefully turned him to wrap it around tightly to stop the blood flow. She ignored his pleads for her to stop, though a chord inside of her was struck.
Once the task was done, Lily propped herself up against the alley wall beside James. He breathed in and out heavily and Lily wiped a strand of hair out of her face, though it was blown back into disorder a few seconds later from the wind.
Closing her eyes for a few minutes, Lily felt something in the air change. Slightly opening one, Lily saw that the alleyway was significantly darker. She looked up. The clouds glared back angrily.
"Oh bother," she mumbled. Looking at the bleeding boy beside her, she leaned over and whispered softly, "James. James, we need to go get help. I don't want to leave you here alone. You have to get up."
There was no response from the aforementioned victim and Lily was unnerved by his silence.
"Please, try James. I can't leave you. We can't stay here," she spoke, a little louder than before, casting a side-glance at the wreck. She moved her hand to his forehead and pushed the dirty hair off of his face. His hazel eyes stared back, agony flashing across them.
"I can't," he whispered pitifully.
"No, no, get up. Try to sit up," Lily stated forcefully.
"I've gotten through things like this before."
"Stop being stubborn." It was then that Lily grabbed James' arms lightly and carefully pulled him up. His face was masked in sweat and dirt and was the epitome of unhappiness. Lily felt sympathy sweep over her and she stood up, bringing James with her. He was surprisingly light and Lily hadn't realized how skinny he was until now.
She took a few steps and waited for James to follow. He did.
As the two children slowly walked away from the wreck and farther down the alleyway, James turned his head to Lily.
"You…you are an angel, aren't you?" he muttered hoarsely.
Lily cast a side-glance at James, the corners of her mouth twitching. "You're delusional James." His eyes were glazed over and half-closed.
"There are stars in your hair, just like before."
"It's probably just dust…mind that plank there."
James stumbled.
"I bet you're a…a guardian angel," he slurred, the pain clearly dulling his senses. Lily sighed and helped him around some wooden boxes stacked in the alleyway.
"James, I can see some light over there. I think the alleyway ends up farther."
"My mum…my m-mother once told me when I was little that if I was ever in trouble that my guardian angel would help me."
Lily, taken aback, slowed her pace.
"Your mother James?"
"Yeah, she…I barely…so long ago," he muttered, his head nodding forward.
"Do you think she's looking for y-hold on, almost there James," Lily held onto James' good shoulder tightly as he tottered back and forth.
"She…she…"
"A few more steps James."
"I can't…she…lost…"He closed his eyes and collapsed behind Lily. Lily, still holding onto James's shoulder, was pulled down with him.
She composed herself and shook James lightly. "James, please, we were so close…we…we were almost there." The wind blew James' frantic hair over his closed eyes and his breathing became heavy and even. Lily, frustrated and tired, soon relented in her pleading and rested her head in her arms.
He didn't move and soon Lily, her eyes fluttering shut, didn't either. Beneath the angry sky, the two children slumbered.