A/N: Here's chapter 17 guys! We're getting close to the end I think. I'll talk more after the chapter. Read and review!
Disclaimer: The one and only JK Rowling's.
Chapter 17 of After the Quidditch Game
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lily ran so fast from Lucius and the dark alley that her breaths came in fast gulps. She didn't stop to rest she just kept running. In the distance you could hear the fast paced thumps of her casual beige shoes that were digging into her heels, breaking open painful blisters that she did not feel at the time.
The only thing on her mind was to get home and lock the door tightly because she never felt more afraid in her life. She could handle talking to Lucius in public but an open confrontation and harassment? That she couldn't handle.
Her flat soon came into view and she almost cried out in relief. Her heart felt like it was going to burst from lack of oxygen as she trudged up and unlocked her door. It was dark inside but Lily slammed the door shut and made sure it was locked. Fear still clenched itself around her heart as she darted across the room to fill the flat with light.
Once the light was shimmering around the room she let out a real sigh of relief feeling slightly more secure in her flat with the door locked.
She walked down to her room and flicked on the light switch. Looking around she slid off her clothing and changed into her more comfortable running pants. As she shrugged on her big loose t-shirt she looked at her watch. It was forty minutes after ten. Julia must still be out on her date with her director.
As if answering her question a sudden buzzing sound came and a note memo came whipping down the hallway to stop midair in front of Lily. She quirked her eye at the note floating in the air in front of her but she tentatively brought her hand up to open it.
Hey Lily. Isn't this a cool way to send notes if you don't have an owl? Robert showed me how to do it. He also surprised me at our dinner tonight. He's bringing me and the other actors to New York City to first hand experience the way of the big city since we're incorporating that city's theme into our musical! I'm so excited. But I won't be back for the next two weeks! Sorry for the late notice, like I said I just found out tonight too. I've already come here to get my bags and now am in New York City at a really nice five star hotel. Spa tonight! Keep in touch. Love, Julia
Lily felt a sinking somewhat abandoned feeling settle inside her gut. Elissa had gone home with her boyfriend, James had left her to show 'Gwenny' the pitch and now Julia was leaving to go to NYC! Lily self-consciously rubbed her eyes then berated herself internally for acting like such a selfish baby. She should be very happy for Julia.
And besides it was only two weeks. It wasn't like she was afraid of staying alone in her pad for a while. James would be around.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A man was sitting in a leather chair facing the fireplace talking into the fire. The room wasn't lighted except the green flame illuminating a man's head that was in the hearth. The one window in the room was covered by a tightly piece of black material as if to ward off people. Not that there was much habilitation near Lord Voldemort's private unknown condo.
"The plan went as according to what I wanted?" He asked his lips pressed in a tight line and his cold voice reverberating through the deaf silence in the room.
"Yes, my lord." Lucius Malfoy replied with a smirk on his face.
"Good. Do tell the young woman that took the pictures that I would very much like to meet her and congratulate her." Lord Voldemort said, a cold smile stealing across his face.
"Of course my Lord. May I ask of what you plan to do with Ms. Evans once she is lured to us?"
Voldemort's face hardened ever so slightly as if he would like to lash out at the man in front of him. Instead he merely took a deep breath and said, "We will give her what we took from her but then take it back."
Lucius nodded but you could see a swirl of confusion flit in his gray eyes.
Voldemort twirled his chair around until Lucius looked up to the back of his chair. "Make sure everything goes according to plan or there will be consequences to pay Lucius."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning Lily woke later in the morning for her, 10:28 am. She dutifully made her bed and straightened her Eeyore plush blanket. Her hair was overwhelming her that morning from its thickness so she braided it into one braid then flipped it back once she had put an elastic around it.
Lily's stomach grumbled quite loudly and she grimaced. So she went off down into the kitchen to find something to eat hoping that there was something edible left since she hadn't gone to the store in a while. She found some cereal in the cupboard and found that there was no milk.
Lily decided she should probably pick some food up at the store. She didn't fancy eating dry cereal so she went to put the bowl back but something pulled her back midway.
A buzzing began to fill her ears and she felt her vision going funny. Light pouring in from the kitchen window seemed to be blinding like the sun and Lily closed her eyes painfully water seeping down the sides.
Suddenly darkness swooped upon her like a disease. The bowl slide from her hand and crashed to the floor with a ear splitting crash now to her sensitive ears and eyes. The darkness evaded the light and Lily crumpled to the ground and away from the physical world.
Whirls of scenes were flashing in Lily's eyes, as she was pulled deeper and deeper through her 'dream'. Lily narrowed her eyes trying to decipher what she was seeing.
For some reason she was seeing flashes of the campground where the Death Eater's had attacked the teens, then a reply of Lucius talking to her in the alley and then an unknown vision of who she thought was herself looking very dull and unseeing. Her eyes didn't hold a sparkle and her movement around a large circular room seemed rather robotic.
Then another series of flashes came in her mind. The Daily Prophet wriggled its way out of Lucius Maloy's hand and began to beat him on the head. Lily wriggled her eyebrows at the bizarreness of it. Then for some reason a camera began to beat Lucius on the head as well. Lucius burst into tears and quite suddenly Lisa Spangeil appeared handing him a tissue.
Lily would have burst into laughter at the dream but something in her stomach had begun to work its way up to her head. Lucius's weird behavior in the alley way especially when he kissed her, the clicking in the background that didn't seem significant at the time and then Lisa's previous articles in the Prophet about Lily.
Her eyes snapped open and she said, "They bloody well set me up."
Lily reached to get up and winced at the glass that had embedded itself in her hand when she fell. She tried to pick out the pieces that she could get then put some ointment and a white cloth wound tightly around her hand. That would have to wait until later.
She ran down to her room to get changed. She would go to the wizarding store in downtown London and get the newspaper. Lily slipped on a pair of track pants and an old big puffy jacket. She hoped James was going to be understanding. Otherwise things were screwed.
Lily slammed her door behind her then took off running down the street trying to look inconspicuous. It was still bitter cold but most of the snow had melted and left London looking like a cold gray area.
Soon the little cramped store came in sight. It was actually near her part time job at Rose Bisbut's. Lily looked up and down the street hoping not many muggles were in sight.
Lily shrugged to herself then opened the door and stepped into the store. There were a few people in the store. Some lady was arguing over the counter about the price on the store's flour price. Another was muttering to herself as she picked through some vegetables. Lily looked over to the last customer who was inspecting the magazine and newspaper stand.
Her eyes widened at the stand and suddenly she slipped the hood over her hair hoping nobody would recognize her. She muttered the spell for appearance change and then she looked into one of the mirrors on the wall. She now had brown eyes, no freckles and a slightly upturned nose.
Lily walked over to the stand and pretended to consider buying a broomstick magazine or a guide to get rid of garden gnomes. The man who was at the stand picked a newspaper then went to buy it. Lily reached for the newspaper and her heart sunk at the front cover. There was a huge picture of her stretched on the cover of it with Lucius kissing her.
"Oh god." Lily breathed to herself apprehensively. Her eyes roved over the cover title and she felt herself alsmot throw up at the untruth of it all.
Having an affair behind James's back. The Revelation.
Here is the proof of what we were all hoping wouldn't happen to poor James. This picture, shot by our very own Lisa Spangeil was taken just last night. Lisa found these two in an alleyway. (More on pg 5) That's pretty low. Don't you think they'd have someplace else to go? She must have been too guilty to bring him home or to go to his house. Could she actually have a conscience? Hmmm, we'll all have to think about this one. Those of you who are in an outrage send an owl to us and we'll post it in tomorrow's paper. Ciao! - Gwen Kensington
Lily flipped to the where more pictures were of Lucius holding her hand, of what looked like Lucius looking down at Lily lovingly when he had come close to her and another shot of him kissing her. She choked back tears and then walked over to the counter fumbling in her pocket, looking for some knuts.
"Hello dear. That'll be 2 knuts please." The elderly lady said with a crinkly old smile.
Lily handed her the money and then the woman's gaze fell onto the newspaper.
"My isn't that terrible for that poor boy? I've always thought he was quite the catch myself. Course when this Lily Evans came along I thought she was sweet enough for him but this is horrible. That's just downright mean." The elderly lady rambled on and Lily tried to smile but she couldn't.
Lily ran out of the store and then made her way back down to her flat passing many witches and wizards who were holding the newspaper and arguing over it outright. Lily could see that they were most interested in the first page.
She finally reached her flat. She slammed the door feeling anger begin to course through her body. They must've been planning that little incident for a while. This didn't just happen overnight. There were too many things to have gone wrong. They needed her in the right spot at the right time.
A sudden vision from a while ago seized her.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As Lily stepped out of the door she began to walk down the street. One of her light bagged packages flew out of her hand and out towards another street. Lily sipped over to it and than quieted down when she heard voices.
"Will you come and take the pictures?" A man said in a cold drawl and the hairs on the back of Lily's neck rose as she recognized the speaker.
The woman replied back with doubt, "And you say I'm going to benefit from it? How exactly?"
"I'll tell you, lets just find a more private place to talk." Luscius said with a suspicious glance around. Lily quickly grabbed her bag and fled the area, not wanting to stay and chat.
--------------------
Lily snorted and then pulled James a little ways down. "So what's the plan now? You and I could go back to my flat..—"
"James don't forget you promised to bring me to the Quidditch Pitch where you first played." Gwen's voice broke through their conversation and Lily raised her eyebrows angrily. What was with this girl?
James sighed and looked at Lily with annoyed hazel eyes. "Gwen's been nagging me all afternoon and asking me about my quidditch playing and surprisingly a lot about you. I promised her just to shut her up. D'you want to come?" He asked her hopefully but Lily shook her head.
"S'ok. Owl me later when you get home or something. How did someone as nice as Remus get hooked up with … that?" Lily asked wonderingly.
--------------------
She snapped out of her memories and then said out loud, "It all fits. I've got to go see James."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lily stepped into James flat knowing James would understand. He had stupid stuff like this happen to him all the time with tabloids and what not with his legendary Quidditch player status of the Wizarding world. He would see this as one of those ridiculous times when they tried to mess up the minds of the people that it was targeted at.
"James?" Lily called out in the flat and then she heard footsteps heading into the living room where she was standing with her winter clothing still on.
He stopped ever so slightly when he saw who it was and a dark look stole across his face. Lily ran at him to give him a hug but he stepped away from her.
Lily looked at him confusedly and said in a quiet voice, "What's wrong James?"
James looked at her with an incredulous look in his unsettled hazel eyes. "What d'you think Lily? Did you take at the bloody Prophet today?" His shouted angrily and Lily felt her insides begin to swirl around.
"You think that what was on the Prophet is true James? D'you really think I was with LUCIUS?" Lily screamed out at him her emerald eyes focused on him angrily.
"Did you take a close look at the front of the cover Lily? You two were in quite the position on the front cover. You look like lovers." James said frustratingly and he pulled both hands through his dark hair making it look even messier.
"We aren't. I… I love you James!" Lily said in an anguished voice.
"Don't kid me with that bullshit Lily! Stop trying to get more information off of me!" James roared in a furious voice but Lily didn't back down.
"What are you talking about?" She asked in hysterical voice.
"I'm talking about you Lily! We know you're the spy so stop trying to be so innocent!" James said heatedly.
Lily was so shocked at this proclamation that she just stood there with her mouth opened.
James just shook his head and turned away down to finish doing whatever he had been doing before she had come.
Lily however wouldn't let him leave that soon.
"You've got it all wrong James. Please listen to me." Lily said desperately tears beginning to roll down her face.
James looked at her unpitying and said, "You should try that thing Julia does, acting? You'd be good at it."
"James don't do this. Just please believe me. I'm not with Lucius. He's a scumbag!" Lily said with a half sob as she wiped away the tears that were now coming down rapidly.
James however turned away once again and said in a defeated voice, "Go home Lily. It's over. You're the spy and everyone in the Order knows now too. Just go home."
"No James! Why can't you see I'm not the spy or in love with Lucius?" Lily asked desperately trying to keep him there, listening to her.
James wound around and said in an angered voice "Get out!"
A sob escaped from Lily and she ran out of the living room and out of his house.
Once she was down the road a bit she stopped running and bent over to catch her breath. Her breaths came out in short white puffs of air. It was bitter cold out still and she didn't know where to go.
She would have to go find Lucius and make him tell James the truth. The thought of Lucius made her remember something else though. He had told her in the alleyway that Voldemort had something of hers and that if she wanted to find out what he had of hers to go meet him.
Suddenly time froze and Lily saw a portkey lying on the ground in her apartment. A cold voice spoke in her mind that made the hairs on her arms and neck rise up.
"Come now if you want what was taken from you."
Lily snapped out of it and then realized with a twinge of nervousness in her stomach that that was Voldemort speaking to her. How did he have a link into her thoughts and visions though?
Lily didn't ponder it too greatly. She turned and apparated back to her apartment. She found the portkey lying on the floor of her living room. Lily wasn't stupid though; she wasn't going to go meet this Voldemort guy without telling anyone.
Basically going to meet him was her only chance. Her only chance at redeeming herself and letting the truth be shone to the world. She needed to go gather information from him and let the Order know she wasn't the spy.
Lily grabbed a piece of parchment and scribbled a note to James that there was a portkey in her apartment to where Lord Voldemort was.
Once she had given the note to Delia, her lovebird she stepped determinedly in front of the portkey and then picked it up. It was time to go.
"Three, two, one." And then Lily felt that gut wrenching feeling around her navel and she was spinning around.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: I'm sorry it took me so long! But at least I kept it in less than a month time range eh? Wowee a lot happened in this chapter. I felt bad for Lily. School's going good. Hope you all are doing okay!
Anyways read and review please and tell me what you're thinking!