Hands Down - Chapter 4


Disclaimer: I still don't own anything Harry Potter. All of the characters in this story are JK Rowling's except Sarah, who is mine.


Lily

Lily watched James and Sarah embrace and then walk out of the great hall, hand in hand. She felt a pang of something… jealousy maybe? Not because of whom they were but their closeness and their relationship.

But then again, Potter was obviously just using Sarah to get to Lily. Lily looked around in shock at her thought, as if someone might have heard her. Had she really just thought that? Surely she couldn't have suddenly become so arrogant?

Shaking her head, Lily started to walk out of the hall and back up the library, there was still some work she needed to do – even if it was the weekend.

When she got to the library, no one but Madame Pince was there, everybody else was probably busy having fun outside in the sun. Lily would have normally gone and sunbathed with her friends Amanda and Natalie, but she wasn't in a very relaxed mood. Something was just getting to her that day but she couldn't quite place it.

Sighing to herself, Lily pulled her books out of her bag and laid them out on the table in front of her. She had barely been working recently and she seriously needed to get some hard work in before the year properly started. Okay, so the three days that she'd actually been at Hogwarts for were only inset days, but she still needed to be prepared.

Tomorrow she would find out who the new DADA teacher was, who the head boy and girl were and her schedule. In true Lily style, she could barely wait to find out if she was head girl. She'd been a prefect for the past two years and had never lost her house a single point, so surely she would automatically be made head girl?

Lily had no idea who would be made head boy though. Knowing her luck, it would probably be Potter. But then again, he'd pulled so many stupid pranks in his time at Hogwarts that everyone knew there was no chance he'd be responsible enough for head boy.

Lily hoped it might be someone like Remus Lupin, they were close and would obviously make a great team. That way Lily would also get to see Remus more often than she already did.

Unbeknown to Lily, the head boy and girl were decided when they first set foot in Hogwarts by the Sorting Hat. It was against the school's rules to make anyone who hadn't been chosen from the Sorting Hat as head boy or girl so even if the two chosen didn't seem good for the job, the teachers had no choice to appoint them with the honours.

James

James and Sarah stayed for a while on the grass in the school grounds. They chatted and laughed a kissed and James tried to enjoy it as much as Sarah obviously was. But there was just something niggling inside of him, making him wish he was somewhere else. He knew what it was and he hated it, he hated how it made nothing ever good enough. He hated that he would never have it, never have her. Lily Evans, it was always her on his mind.

Lily

By the time Lily had finished her work, it was already dark and the castle had grown quieter. Sighing, Lily picked up her books and loaded into her backpack, pulling it onto her back.

She made her way out of the Library and down the winding staircase to her floor. As she rounded a corner she bumped straight into Lucius Malfoy who seemed angry and roughly pushed her out of his way. Lily made a small 'oof' noise as she was shoved and Lucius looked back and her and smiled suggestively.

'Eww.' Lily said simply and started to walk away but the stronger Slytherin grabbed her arm and pulled her back so she was pressing up against him.

'What are you doing?' she yelled, trying to pull herself free. Before she knew it Lucius had pressed his lips to hers and was kissing her furiously. Lily tried to scream and wriggle out of his grasp but this just made him angrier and he bit hard down on her lip, making her squeal in pain as the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.

'You resist and I'll fucking kill you,' he said, his voice full of malice and power. Lily didn't doubt his words, not one bit. As tears fell down her cheeks, she felt the boy's hands all over her, touching her where he shouldn't and kissing her how he shouldn't. Lily begged him to stop but he ignored her and continued.

Lily's silent tears transformed into loud sobs as she attempted to struggle again but was greeted by a hard slap across her face. Lucius pushed her up against a wall and started pulling her skirt up.

Lily was about to give up hope and give in to the disgusting boy feeling her all over, when she heard footsteps in a near corridor and Lucius pulled back from her. Someone was nearing them. Lucius grabbed hold of Lily's neck and pushed her head back against the wall,

'Tell anyone about this and you're dead,' he growled, the sound of his voice evil and malicious. Lily nodded slowly and he let go of her, letting her slide down the wall to the floor. He then turned around and strode off down the corridor, out of sight.

Lily sat in silence for a couple of seconds before dissolving into a crying wreck. Her whole body shook with each sob and she pulled her knees in close to her, trying to calm herself down. She felt weak and violated, maybe if she'd just fought harder she would have been able to get him off her sooner…

How could she have let this happen? She was so weak…

James

James said goodnight to Sarah outside her dorm and made his way up to his own dorm room. Glancing over at Sirius' empty bed, James noticed that the Marauder's map was lying on it. Simply wanting to know where Sirius and the others were, James picked the map up, muttered 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good,' and watched as the map appeared on the parchment in his hands.

He looked on it and saw that Sirius, Remus and Peter were all in the kitchens, no doubt stuffing themselves with yet more food. James lifted his wand to wipe the map clean but stopped when a certain unmoving dot caught his eye. Lily Evans was in one of the corridors two levels below him and she wasn't moving. James stared at the map for a few more minutes but still the small dot representing Lily didn't move. Worried, James slid the map into his pocket and made his way out of his dorm room.

He ran along to the corridor he had seen Lily in and looked down it, trying to make her out in the dark. But he heard her before he saw her. Lily was lying in a crumpled, sobbing heap on the floor at the end of the corridor. James sprinted towards her and she jumped in fright on noticing him so suddenly.

Lily tried to speak but on failing to be able to do so began sobbing harder still. Not knowing what else to do, James pulled her to him and let her cry in his arms. Lily leaned against her chest with her head buried in the soft fabric of his robes, trying to hide herself from the reality of what had just happened.

James gently stroked her back and hair, whispering 'it will be okay' into her ear. Eventually Lily's sobs became less frequent and she looked up at James, her eyes red and puffy.

'What happened?' he asked, softly,

'Lucius… I … he tried to… I tried to scream but he said he'd kill me… he wouldn't stop… his hands were all over me… he wouldn't stop.'

James listened carefully to what Lily was saying, trying to hear her as she spoke quietly and timidly. Gradually, what she had said dawned on him and he grew livid, deep hatred seething inside him.

'I'll fucking kill him, I mean it,' he spat through gritted teeth, attempting to stand up, but Lily held onto him and begged him not to.

'He said he'd kill me if I told,' she stuttered, 'please, James, please.'

James' face softened and he pulled Lily to him again,

'I'm sorry,' he whispered into her ear.

They stayed in this position for what seemed like hours, Lily breathing quietly in a slightly strangled girlish way as James held her close to him, feeling her rapid heart beat slowing down. Eventually Lily's breathing slowed right down and James knew that she had fallen asleep. As gently as he cold, he knelt down and picked her up and began carrying her back to their dormitory.

Being the rebel that he was, James knew the password to Lily's dorm room and was able to silently open the door and carry her into it in the dark. He laid her down in the only remaining bed he assumed was hers and pulled her velvet cover up so that only her head remained showing. James bent down and lightly kissed Lily on her still wet cheek, stroked her beautiful red hair and made to leave as quietly as he'd come.

A hand grabbed onto James' and he turned to see Lily looking at him through puffy eyes,

'Please,' she said softly, almost inaudibly, 'don't leave me.'

Lily pulled her cover back and moved to the side, showing James that there was space for him to fit next to her. Not wanting to say no to Lily in her current state or to leave her unprotected, James took his shoes off and slid into bed next to her.

Lily was facing away from him, the moonlight shining off her curls. She rolled over so she was facing him and they stared at each other in silence.

Gingerly, Lily moved her head forwards and planted a small kiss on James' lips,

'Thank you,' she whispered, before moving backwards and taking James' arm so it wrapped around her waist, holding her protectively.

James pulled her closer to him and kissed the back of her neck. He didn't want to ever leave her, he could have stayed this way forever.

He couldn't believe anyone could have done what Lucius had done to such an incredible creature. How could anyone violate her in such a way and then threaten to kill her if she told?

How could anyone hurt his Lily?

His anger slowly building, James fell asleep with thoughts of his love for Lily and revenge against Lucius clouding his tired mind.


Please review, I'm quite proud of this chapter although it's not the greatest in the world.

Reviews are huuugely appreciated, even if they're only one word long:)

Thanks,

theonlynewgirl