Chapter Two-

Lily realized that someone else was downstairs with James and Remus. She recognized the voice. Great, someone else who hates me. She reached the bottom of the stairs and three guys turned to her. One smiled to her. One nodded in her direction. The last one tried to pretend that she didn't exist.

"You fellas ready?"

Remus nodded again.

"Just waiting on you."

Sirius scoffed and James just looked at his best friend.

"James, let's book. I'm hungry."

Sirius turned around and walked out of the portrait hole without another word. James smiled meekly at Lily and followed. Remus waited for a moment before speaking.

"Don't take it personally."

"I never have, Rem."

"He just doesn't know you."

"Which is why I can't fault his ignorance."

They left and walked to dinner after Lily picked up her newest book from the table next to the hole. She read it and walked to supper and listened to Remus' prediction on the upcoming match. Lily knew that Remus didn't really care, but he was talking to distract himself from James and Sirius' conversation about her. There was no way that she could hear it, but since he could, he felt bad about the things said about one of his friends when she was right next to him.

"James, I'm telling you that she's up to something."

"Padfoot, you've said that since third year."

"You didn't see her levitating...without her wand. I'm telling you. She's got to be into some damn dark shit to be able to do that."

"Sirius, you don't know her."

"And you do?"

James hesitated. He hated these conversations because he hated to lie, but his reputation was at stake.

"Not really, but I live in the same dorm and I've never seen anything that was dark."

"Not yet...just wait. She's evil. She knows really dark things."

"Sirius..."

"I'm serious...I wouldn't be surprised if she's in with...him..."

"Now you're just being preposterous."

"Mark my words...she's into really dark things."

The two marauders walked into the Great Hall and sat down at their table. Remus was still rambling even though Sirius' conversation had stopped. He completed his thought and bid Lily goodbye as she went to her own house's table. She sat down next to Severus and infront of Lucius. The blonde looked up at her.

"They'll get you killed some day."

"No more than you will."

Lucius' eyes hardened at her sentiment. She fixed her plate and like every other Snake checked for Marauder pranks. She found none in her food or her drink, so she dug in. She read her book and listened to the ruckus around her. After about twenty pages, Lily noticed that Severus had gone rigid.

Something was wrong. She looked up and found Sirius watching him purposefully. Damn him! Lily broke into his mind gently and saw what he was seeing. Shit! Sirius had to pick his childhood memories to force back on him. Minutes passed as Severus relived his hell. Lily tried to hurry and break the spell, but that might cause brain damage. She did all that she could and pulled out of his memories. It was up to Severus how long before he...

"Severus, are you alright?"

Snape just looked around as though he had spaced out. He was not aware of Sirius' spell.

"Yes."

"Severus, tell me."

Severus met her eyes and knew that she knew something.

"I was just thinking Lillith. Am I allowed to think?"

"Yes, of course."

Lily settled back down and pretended to be reading her book again. Five pages later, the Slytherin prefect went rigid again. So help me!

She repeated her earlier motions and waited. This time it took longer for him to recover. Once again, he regained consciousness and seemed completely oblivious to the spell. This time, Lily didn't say anything about it.

"Where are you going?"

Severus asked as she stood up.

"I need to have a discussion."

"Am I stopping by later?"

He asked so silently that it could have been telepathic.

"If you want to, my door is open. Make sure to knock right and I'll make sure that you get in this time."

Severus nodded and watched as Lily made her way to the Gryffindor table. She always had to tell Potter something. Always working. He was surprised to see her approach Sirius Black.

"You. Outside. Now."

Sirius looked up from his own joke to see Lily. He dismissed her.

"Whatever Snake."

Lily leaned down and whispered to him deathly serious.

"Do you want the entire school to see you get your ass kicked by a girl?"

"You wish Snake."

"I'm not in the mood to talk, Black. I'll ask this time. Will you please step outside?"

Sirius looked straight into her eyes.

"Fuck off."

The edge of Lily's mouth twinged when she replied.

"Wrong answer."

Lily grabbed Sirius' ear and pulled him up swiftly. All eyes on them. Once Sirius was standing, he yelled.

"What the fuck?"

"I asked you nicely to step outside. I will talk to you Sirius. You chose this."

"Fuck off, Snake."

Lily touched the back of his neck with two fingers.

'I told you to get your ass outside, stupid fuck.'

'Get out of my head!'

'You didn't stay out of Severus', so why should I show you any curtosy. Step outside.'

'Get out of my head!'

'Fine, I'll get out.'

Lily sent a shock through her hand into Sirius' brain. No one else knew of the mental exchange. All they saw was Lily touching Sirius and suddenly, he fell unconscious. He would have knocked into the other students, but Lily charmed him to follow her. As she walked out, several people tried to block her path. Something pushed them all back.

Everyone except James who was most intent on following her. She made it out of the Great Hall doors before James did. Once James made it through the crowd, he looked for Lily and couldn't find her anywhere. Remus came to his side.

"Where are they, Rem."

Remus closed his eyes and blocked out everything else. Sometimes it paid off to be a...

"In the Astronomy Tower."

They set off at top speed.

"Where am I? How did I get here? What did you do?"

Sirius looked around him. He couldn't move anything below his neck. Lily was crouched infront of him.

"So many questions, Black. So many questions that are not important enough for me to answer."

"Why did you bring me here?"

Lily smiled harshly.

"That question I will answer. I brought you here to teach you a lesson. A lesson about screwing around inside peoples' heads."

"He deserved it."

"Really? I was with him almost all day and I don't remember him provoking you at all."

"He's alive and breathing my air. That's reason enough."

Lily punched him in the lip swiftly and deftly.

"I never want to hear you say that again."

Sirius looked shocked that she had actually hit him. He always thought that she was all talk. Apparently, he was wrong.

"You are never going to rape anyone's mind again."

Something about the way that she said it made his actions seem crude and horrible.

"Telling me what to do, Snake?"

Sirius taunted.Lily was so pissed at this point that she could barely contain her magic from...

"No. Has anyone ever raped your mind, Sirius?"

The tone she used frightened him. It was almost playful. She spoke.

"No? Why don't you give it a go?"

Without even touching him, Sirius went rigid like Severus had twice during supper. Lily knew the images and feelings that were in the forefront of Sirius' mind. She'd seen them before. She's seen them all before. After a few seconds, she took the spell off.

"You bitch! I told him! I told him that you were Dark, but he wouldn't listen. He'll believe me now."

Lily's eyes sparked again.

"Apparently, the spell didn't last long enough."

Before another word was spoken, Lily re-uped the spell. She could feel James and Remus closing in on them, but...oh well. She stood casually against a pillar looking out at the grounds. Sirius had a lot of fight in him, but even he couldn't surpass this spell.

James and Remus burst throught the open entrance. Panting, they looked around. James spotted Sirius on the ground almost shaking. He ran over to his best friend. Remus found Lily first.

She was so calm, but he could feel the darkness rolling off of her in waves. She turned her attention to him and James with casual interest. She looked on as James snapped his fingers in front of Sirius' face repeatedly. Lily spoke nonchelantly.

"He can't sense you."

James turned on her quickly.

"What did you do to him?"

"Nothing that will do any permenant damage."

James looked at her in total dissappointment.

"He has to learn, James."

"Take it off. Take it off, now!"

James yelled in her face. Lily looked up at him with her 'who do you think you are' look on her face. Remus cut in.

"Lily, you're hurting him. Look at him."

Lily didn't need to look. She knew what she was doing and knew that he could stand a lot more, but just to irk James, she let Black go. His breathing was slightly elavated. He felt like he had stepped out of a bad dream. He saw Lily and remembered what she did to him.

He jumped up and swung at her. James grabbed for Sirius and Remus tried to get her to move, but she just stood there. His fist collided with her cheekbone. Her head snapped to the side and everything seemed to freeze. The three guys waited for her to blow up. Even with his adrinaline and rage pumped up, Sirius realized how incredibly stupid it was for him to punch her. Lily moved.

She stretched her jaw and brought her fingers up to her face. Sirius was strong...for a human. She knew that there was nothing left for her to say, so she turned and walked out of the Astronomy Tower. James went to follow, but Remus stopped him.

"I think that you two have done enough for one night."

He lowered his head and followed the distant footsteps of the Headgirl. Silence...THUD! Oh no...Remus ran the little distance left to the Heads' dorms. He found Lily on the floor. He ran over and was about to check for a pulse when someone screamed at him.

"Don't touch her!"

Severus yelled from the end of the corridor. He ran to his fallen friend. Remus refused to step back until Snape pushed him harshly.

"Don't touch her."

"Shove it, Snape. She needs help."

Severus turned around and told a portrait to go...

"Tell the Headmaster that Snape said Green Alert."

The portrait didn't understand, but it wasn't supposed to. He turned back to Lily and swatted Remus' hand as he tried to touch her.

"Severus, she needs help."

"You aren't the help that she needs."

"I suppose you are?"

"Yes, unlike you I actually know what the hell is going on."

Remus was quiet for heartbeat...wait...

"Her heart's stopped!"

Remus tried again to pick her up. Severus whipped out his wand and performed the full body bind before Remus' skin met Lily's.

"I told you not to touch her."

A few moments later, the Headmaster hasened down the hallway. He found Lily just the way that the other two had. Unconscious...and in the middle of the corridor.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. I was supposed to meet her here. When I got here, Lupin was next to her trying to wake her."

"He didn't touch her?"

"No, sir."

The Headmaster took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and then opened them again. He leaned down and picked up the Headgirl like a child who was hurt. He nodded to Severus who levitated Remus into the dormitory. Severus set him down on the couch and walked upstairs with the Headmaster. Once Snape was out of the room, his spell over Remus ended. The prefect stood and rushed up the stairs. The shook the door, but it wouldn't budge.

'She's dead. Her heart stopped and she wasn't breathing. How can they just ask as though...'

James walked through the hole prepared for a battle. All he found was Remus on the couch.

"Mooney, how did you get in here?"

"Headmaster let me in."

James looked like he ate the canary.

"Why is the Headmaster here?"

"Snape told the portrait to go get him."

"Why did Snivellus do that?"

"He wouldn't let me touch Lily."

James looked a little heated.

"Why were you trying to touch Lily?"

"She was passed out on the floor. Her heart was stopped and she wasn't breathing, but Snape just kept telling me not to touch her."

James looked like her was trying to process too much information at once. He looked at Remus.

"Okay, slower with all the details please."

"Okay, I left the tower and..."

Remus tried to form the words, but they kept slipping away from him. He was too confused and he couldn't find the right words.

"Remus? What happened?"

"I don't know, so like I was saying. I left the tower after her and got down the corridor when I heard..."

James looked at him expectantly, but the words never came. Remus felt something inside his mind. He saw Lily's face. He knew.

"You heard what, Mooney?"

Remus paused for a second.

"Nothing. Lily will tell you when she wakes up."

"You just said that her heart stopped and she wasn't breathing. That doesn't show me that she's going to wake up."

Remus just smiled.

"She'll be fine."