Chapter – 18: The Vampire Council
Lily P.O.V
Getting into the vampires' land was surprisingly odd. In the second after they had spotted Aurora, Lily's head had been covered by a bag, her hands bound, and she was hauled like a sack of potatoes. She lost all sense of direction about twenty seconds in, when it felt like she was floating on air, rather than being carried by someone.
At some point, Lily assumed that she blacked out, because when the bag was pulled off her head and she opened her eyes, she felt like she had just woken up.
The surroundings was definitely not Diagon Alley, with the dark curtains covering the window of the room and the lack of light. The room reeked of rot and death. A vile, evil feeling settling into her bone, Lily regretted everything she said in the alley. All that bravado, drained out of her. She wanted to lie down and die, accept any punishment that they gave her.
They? Who are they? A tiny voice in her head asked, and Lily wondered at the answer to that question.
She was sure she sat there for a few minutes, thinking. There was a screeching sound that filled her head, and Lily clapped her hands on her ears, with a wince.
She was sure that was the second time she blacked out, because when she opened her eyes, she was on a bed. She was confused and disoriented, the lack of light casting everything in shadow. The room was blank, green walls and green bedcovers but nothing else. No window, or door.
She turned to the other side, to see Aurora sitting on a green chair.
"What was that for?" She asked, seething as the memories rushed back to her.
There was no response from Aurora, who barely moved. Lily pushed herself up and out of the bed, stumbling slightly as her legs buckled. Before she could move more than a step, the door opened, and Aurora walked in.
Lily was shocked, and her first response was to punch the vampire that just walked in. Aurora's face snapped back, and she stared at Lily in shock and confusion.
"Wha di - I do to you?" she asked, nose fixing itself as she spoke. "Why did you punch me?"
There was no anger in her face, but Lily couldn't be too careful.
"You need to reply to letters like a normal person." Lily answered carefully.
Aurora still looked confused and shook her head roughly. "I have absolutely no clue what you're talking about, kid."
Lily blinked. "Where is Peter?"
"Is that the boy's name?" She asked.
Lily nodded, and Aurora looked thoughtful. "I think I remember you now. Lilith, wasn't it?"
"I sent you a letter a while ago," Lily said, waiting for the other shoe to drop. It was impossible that Aurora forgot her so fast.
Lily decided to categorize the changes in the vampire.
Aurora had been interested in her, but much more predatory. More dangerous. Now, she seemed to be a different person, more laidback and calmer.
"What's your name?" Lily asked the vampire, a suspicion forming in her mind. Most of what she knew was theoretical, from books.
"I'm Raina Lark."
" – And this is the vampire council," Raina gestured to the room in front of them.
She had been the best host Lily had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Every room they visited; Raina had given the most scandalous information about it. There was a bare resemblance to Aurora, but Raina, she was starting to grow on Lily. More than Aurora had.
Turning to the room, Lily was disappointed. The council room was just like every other room – dark and gloomy with no artifacts and solid-colored walls. There were seven people sitting in a semi-circle, their seats raised slightly like in a courtroom, but not really. Beyond that simple distinction, there was nothing interesting in the room.
"Trust me when I say they're all bores." Raina nodded at the seven vampires. "The blonde on the left is cheating on her fake husband, who is the dark-haired, scowling one in the middle."
"How does one cheat on their fake husband?" Lily asked.
Raina snickered. "They aren't actually married. It's just a running joke that they have no clue they're involved in. He's in love with her, but she's completely uninterested. And they live in the same place."
Lily shook her head. "This is like a real-life drama."
"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, Darke," Raina said, turning to face Lily. "This is an undead drama."
Lily opened her mouth to retort, but a voice interrupted them before she could.
"Raina, darling, are you talking to a human?"
Lily whirled around to come face to face with a wall. Okay, not a wall, but a person. The girl was tall and bulky, packed with muscles. Lily had the feeling she could break a wall with relatively less effort and pain.
"Maude. Don't call me darling, and this human is a witch looking for an alliance. Don't disturb your seniors," Raina made a shooing gesture with her hands.
Maude simply rolled her eyes. "The boy woke up. I thought you would like to know that."
Lily sighed in relief and was about to thank Maude, but the vampire had already disappeared. She turned to Raina, who had an amused look on her face.
"You go talk to the council, while I entertain your friend."
Lily didn't even bother answering, and Raina was gone in a blink. With a deep breath, Lily walked through the door.
It had taken Lily a lot of effort to explain everything relevant to the council. They were constantly getting distracted by anything and everything, their attention moving from one objective to another in split seconds. Lily had no doubt about their memories, only their ability to help her.
"What exactly do you want us to do, child?" An old, balding woman asked, sitting in the chair between the blonde cheater and her fake husband.
Lily paused at the question. She had explained everything she knew, and she thought they should know, but she wasn't sure what she wanted them to do. She didn't want them joining Voldemort, but did she want a group of distracted killers on her side? Would they be willing to fight on her side?
As much as she wanted to ask them to help her, the marauders were a part of her team now. She had to ask them before she agreed to an alliance with the vampires. But she could ask the vampires one thing.
"I want you to stay out of the war." She answered, truthfully, but not the whole truth. "I don't want you to fight for Voldemort or for us."
The black-haired girl dressed in all black leathers spoke up, "We don't fight human wars, Darke. We aren't planning to start now."
She hadn't even looked up from her book, and Lily wondered how she knew Lily's name. Regardless, Lily breathed a sigh of relief, but added one more thing.
"Not even if the werewolves join the war."
The black-haired girl looked up then, and smiled, canines flashing. "If the werewolves want their already diminished numbers to be culled, they're welcome to the war. In fact, I'd encourage them to join the crazed dark lord that you just told us about."
Lily slumped. "Thank you."
They had all gone back to their own work, pages flipping and rustling as they read through them at unnatural speeds. Lily walked out of the room, feeling as though a weight was lifted off her.
"If you can convince us, Darke, then, we'll join the fight." The blond man's voice called to her as she left the room. He continued, just a distant voice, "We'd be very interested to see how you convince us.
"I'll see you again, won't I?" Raina asked, as they stood beside a blank wall.
Lily nodded, and so did Peter, who had met her a few minutes ago. Enough that they hadn't had time to talk yet.
"Hopefully," Lily said, even though Raina looked unnecessarily upset. Like a child saying bye to their new friends.
Peter waved and walked through the wall, a replica of Platform 9¾.
Lily gave Raina one last smile and followed him.
"That was exhausting. How long were we even there?" Lily said, walking briskly down the alleyway.
They turned onto Knockturn Alley, definitely not where they had entered from.
"Only three hours, apparently." Peter answered. "You woke up about an hour in, and I woke up an hour after you."
"Hmmm…" Lily turned onto Diagon Alley and stopped short. For a second she wondered if they were in the wrong place, until she noticed Gringotts at the end – a white building in a sea of ash.
"What's wrong?" Peter asked, before he too gaped at the Alley. Diagon Alley was dark, shops burnt down and blasts covering the street. The bustle of the street was replaced by an eerie silence cause by a lack of people, children.
What in god's name happened here?
"Lily," Peter's voice reached her. "Lily, you have to see this."
The urgency in his voice shook her out of her stupor. Lily turned to Peter, who was holding a piece of parchment. A 'Missing' poster. With her face on it.
Desperately, she looked around and spotted another Missing poster, this one with Peter's face. She stared, and Peter, looking over her shoulder stared too. All she could think of was what had happened.
"What is going on?"
