Lily was dreaming. She knew this. It didn't help the wave of uneasiness that rolled over her, pressing into her chest, her lungs.
She was running. Down an endless corridor, lined with portraits of sleeping, immobile occupants. The only sound was the echo of her feet hitting the floor – she was barefoot, for some reason, but her feet didn't ache from the hard stone. She felt as if she were running on clouds, unmoored and untethered.
She twisted around, searching back the way she had come, but found no evidence of being chased. No sound other than the patter of her feet and the excited breaths escaping from her chest.
The air was knocked cleanly from her lungs as her body slammed into a wall. Hard, but gentle arms wrapped around her to keep her upright. She looked up, dizzy, and found –
"Lily!"
"What?" she gasped, flying into a seated position on her bed and nearly knocking heads with Marlene. "What's wrong?"
"You wouldn't bloody wake up, that's what!" Marlene retorted, shuffling off her bed, already in uniform. "I tried waking you at least twenty times. You wouldn't budge."
Lily looked about the room in confusion, rubbing at her eyes hard. "What time is it?"
"Time for you to take a shower before it's too late for class," her friend said derisively. "Stay up late last night?"
"No," Lily replied. "I don't think so… It just took awhile to fall asleep."
"Well, get a move on, or you'll miss grabbing something for breakfast."
Lily was still in a daze, shivering in the cool air as she mentally adjusted to the waking world.
"Let's go!" Marlene called, clapping her hands together.
"Okay, okay," Lily said in annoyance, throwing her sheets off and jumping up. She went through her perfunctory routine, washing herself in the shower robotically, before brushing her teeth and getting dressed. She twisted her wet hair into a lopsided bun on the top of her head in her haste.
Marlene was giving her a look as she emerged from the loo, sitting on her bed as she impatiently bounced her foot. "Good dreams?"
"Unsettling, actually," Lily exhaled, collecting her class things.
"You always have weird dreams on little sleep. Any particular thing keeping you awake?"
The redhead glanced over at the blonde with narrowed eyes. "No. I just couldn't fall asleep. Nerves about the game. Having the boys join and all, I think."
"You think?"
"Yes," she said tersely, hooking her bag over her shoulder. "Ready?"
"We actually have a little bit before breakfast ends. Want me to fix your hair?"
"What!" She looked over at the clock on her nightstand. "Marlene – you made me think I was late!"
"You were going to be," Marlene defended. She lifted her wand. "Hair?"
"Oh, Merlin," Lily sighed heavily, collapsing onto the bed beside her. "Whatever, yes. Please wake me up if I fall back asleep."
"Of course," Marlene said with a laugh, already starting to work.
Lily sighed in relief as the weight of the wet hair was lifted and her friend worked through the strands, lulled into a soothed state. She closed her eyes briefly, breathing through her nose deeply.
Arms tightened around her as her knees weakened. She looked up unhurriedly, her gaze following the bands of muscles at the base of a throat, the adam's apple above, and the line of a strong jaw –
"Done!"
Lily jerked to attention, blinking rapidly. "What?"
"Your hair," Marlene prompted. "Done."
"Oh," she said dazedly, rubbing at her dry eyes. "Thanks, Mar."
"Of course." She pushed Lily to stand. "Let's head down to the Great Hall. I'm starving."
"Right." Lily followed on numb legs, as if they hadn't quite woken up either.
The Common Room was milling about with students, a busy morning. She smiled at a few of the students who waved and was stopped by a 5th Year – Jacquelyn, she remembered, the newest Prefect.
"Hey, Lily? Can I ask you a huge favor?"
"Of course," she replied. "How can I help?"
"Can you take my patrol tonight?"
"Oh. Why?"
Jacquelyn looked a bit put off. "I really wouldn't normally ask – I know we're only a few weeks into the school year – and I totally take this job seriously, I really do! I just feel like I'm already getting so far behind in Transfiguration, and if I'm late on my next essay, McGonagall is going to absolutely murder me –"
Lily nodded sympathetically. "Sure. It's okay, Jacquelyn. I get it."
"Oh, Agrippa, Lily – thank you so much. Really!"
"No problem. Just let Frank know, yeah? He'll update the schedule."
"Absolutely. Thank you, Lily!" The girl rushed away towards the dorms.
"You know she has a date tonight, don't you?" Marlene asked dryly, as they resumed their walk towards the portrait exit.
"She does?" Lily asked, surprised. "She seemed so sincere."
"Sincerely worried about her date, yeah." Marlene sniped. "She totally got you."
"Well – she'll owe me one," the redhead shrugged. "Who's she even got a date with?"
"Ulysses," Marlene answered as they neared the staircases.
"The 7th Year Hufflepuff? Quidditch Captain?"
"That's the one."
"Hm," she mused. "Did we even think about dating last year?"
Marlene laughed. "Maybe not you."
"She's a 5th Year," she said, ignoring Marlene's response. "Should she even be going out with a 7th year?"
"I dated Edgar Bones in 4th Year, remember?"
"And should you have?"
"Probably not," Marlene admitted. "But I was fifteen at the end of the year; he was still seventeen."
"And why'd you break up?"
"Because he 'wanted a more mature witch," she quoted scornfully. "As if Aggie Wienberg was any more mature than me."
Lily's eyebrows rose at her friend's tone.
Marlene's lips pursed. "I see your point. Can we just get to the Great Hall?"
"We're almost there," she said soothingly. "And besides, why a date on a Tuesday? Why not wait for a Hogsmeade weekend?"
The blonde wiggled her eyebrows. "With all the nooks and crannies in this place? 'M sure you could come up with some date ideas."
Lily scoffed with a laugh.
As they entered the Great Hall, they spotted Emmeline and Dorcas sitting, nearly finished with their food.
"Good morning," Emmeline greeted. "Potions first thing, right?"
"Yep," she confirmed, dishing herself up a plate of breakfast food.
"Did you want to review the Charm's assignment from yesterday after dinner?"
"She can't," Marlene cut in. "Because of a date."
Dorcas's head snapped up. "A date? Lily can't because of a date?"
"Not me," Lily corrected idly. "Jacquelyn, the 5th Year Prefect? She needs me to cover her patrol tonight."
"Because she has a date?" Dorcas clarified.
"She said she needed to catch up on homework, but it's fine. Did you want to try and go over it during lunch, Em? Or maybe right before my patrol?"
"Don't even worry about it, Lily," she replied assuringly. "Just wanted a spot-checker. I think I got confused about the conjecture on the disillusionment's base."
"I totally get it. I had to re-do that whole section twice. The book wasn't very clear about –"
"Blah, blah, blah," Dorcas groused. "It's too early to talk about homework and charm's theory."
"Wow," Marlene jeered. "Someone woke up on the pissed-on wrong side of the bed."
Dorcas flipped her off, grabbing her pack and finishing off her juice. "I'll see you tits later."
The three watched the angry 7th Year stride away, throwing her hair over her shoulder to glare towards the Ravenclaw table. Like magnets, the girls' eyes swung towards the table in question – and caught sight of Olivia flirting openly with another Ravenclaw boy.
"Ouch," Lily winced. "I was hoping it would be different this time 'round."
Emmeline clicked her tongue. "I warned her."
"We can't all be lucky like Alice," Marlene conceded, sounding a bit vulnerable.
Lily's eyes strayed to the end of the table, where Alice and Frank were seated beside each other, holding hands and talking excitedly.
"No," she agreed, not quite feeling lovesick – but maybe a bit envious.
The girls finished eating their breakfast in silence, the conversation dulled. When it was time to depart their own ways, they nodded each other in farewell, abnormally somber.
"Catch you at lunch?" Marlene asked.
"See you then," she confirmed, turning and beginning the trek towards the dungeons.
She fell into the familiar steps, letting her mind stray as her feet carried her around the shortcut to the Potion's classroom.
Had she really not shown interest in any blokes? She pondered this, thinking back to their past year. There had been a few boys, some in Ravenclaw, that she had paired up in classes, flirted with, joined in study sessions – but had she really not gone on a date?
Not that it really bothered her, she realized. It was something she hadn't felt important at the time. She had friendship; she had enough thrill from the Game. She felt plenty stimulated, so she really didn't feel like she had been missing out on anything. Right?
Right, she assured herself, adjusting her bag, pushing her hair out of her face. She didn't need a boy to feel good.
Lily skidded to a halt as the sound of stone grating against stone pulled her from her thoughts. Up ahead, she watched as one of the stonewalls shifted, revealing the entrance to the Slytherin's Common Area.
A few Slytherins filed out, a combination of boys and girls from the upper years.
While they were distracted by their own conversation, Lily knew it was too late for her to turn around; they'd spot her. So she trudged forward stubbornly, keeping her eyes ahead.
"Well, well, well," a familiar voice sneered. Mulciber.
Lily rolled her eyes internally, intent to walk past them without rising to their bait. A few of them continued walking on, passing by her without a word.
"The lonely Gryffindor," Mulciber continued and a few of the others who had stayed behind tittered with snickers. "Wanted to take us up on that offer for a ride, eh?"
Avery moved to block her path. His movement revealed Snape to his right, standing back to once again watch the scene as a bystander.
"Let me pass," she demanded, glaring up at Avery's face.
"We can't have a Gryffindor knowing where our dungeons are, can we?" he asked the group, crossing his arms in what she assumed he felt was a threatening manner.
"I'm a Prefect, Avery," she said with exaggerated patience. "I know where all of the common areas are."
She really shouldn't goad them; she could recall Severus scolding her last year for giving Mulciber a detention for bullying a 2nd Year Hufflepuff – and docking points from Avery for a similar interaction. They both had an inclination for retaliation: something she had been able to avoid up until now.
"I see we've got some lip from this one, Avery," Mulciber sneered, raising his wand to finger it obscenely. "Not very welcoming of a Prefect, is it?"
"Nope," Avery responded. "Not friendly, at all."
"Let me pass," she repeated, staring pointedly past them. "I've got to get to class."
"Oh, no, no. I don't think we can let you go that easily," Avery said, his tall frame leaning forward so he invaded her space. "What about that ride you promised earlier?"
Lily reflexively placed her hand on her hip, feeling the comforting pressure of her wand there. "I will take points –"
"Let's just go," Snape cut in, tone dry, as if he were bored.
Lily refused to glance towards him.
"Whatever," Mulciber snapped disdainfully, glaring at Lily. Avery followed closely behind him as he brushed past her, careful to knock into her hard. The strike was strong enough to send her stumbling, barely able to catch herself in time.
"Mudblood whore," he breathed into her face, his eyes raking down her body.
She glowered at him, gathering her balance.
Like she had earlier the day before, she looked towards Snape's face to see his reaction. He was careful to keep his expression neutral. He watched as his friends continued down the corridor and turned out of sight.
She started, realizing he was expecting her to resume walking towards the Potion's classroom so that he could join her. Her grip on her bag shook with anger as she turned sharply, trudging towards the doorway with rapid steps to ensure he couldn't walk beside her.
She made sure to let the door swing shut, rather than holding it open for him as she may have done in the past.
It shut perhaps a bit too loudly; a few of the students turned around curiously, catching sight of the glowering redhead. Sirius and James turned to watch her inquisitively, but she kept her gaze ahead, catching the attention of the professor.
"There we are," Slughorn said genially, waving her on to her desk. "And Mr. Snape! Hurry forward, we've got exciting potions to work on today!"
She sat quickly to pull out her book and notes, fastidiously giving Slughorn her attention in order to avoid Snape's presence.
When Slughorn instructed them to start on the potion (a concoction for dreamless sleep, how pleasant, Lily thought idly), she jumped right into like she had with every class so far, spinning her long hair into a low bun, focusing on her notes as she worked in silence.
Her anger simmered just below the surface of her skin as she listened to the scrape of Severus's knife though, the bubbling of their cauldrons. But she remained quiet, not wanting to get into a fight with him. She didn't want to interact with him at all.
It wasn't until they were both almost done that he chose to speak.
"You could say thank you," Snape murmured under his breath, lips barely moving.
Lily nearly slammed her knife down in stunned fury. "Why should I?"
"If I hadn't stepped in… You don't know what they're capable of."
"And you do?"
"Yes."
She violently chucked the last ingredient into her cauldron (three eel eyes), before turning to face him fully as her hands shook in rage. "Then why do you insist on being mates with them?" she hissed quietly. "Why do you keep their company if you know what they're 'capable' of? Do you like them calling me mudblood and - and 'Mudblood whore'?"
His eyes snapped onto her face in surprise, before he schooled his features. "No. I don't. But It can't be helped," he said simply, resignedly.
"Can't be helped," she mimicked, feeling her blood rise in temperature. "I helped you plenty, Severus. Over and over. Fuck you."
With unsteady hands, she used her wand to recklessly siphon her potion into a phial, not caring if she spilled the potion onto the tabletop or her books. Gripping the bottle so tightly she could feel the glass creak in her hand, she practically ran towards Slughorn's desk at the front in order to silently hand him the potion and turn away without a response.
She returned to their desk, forcefully stuffing her belongings back into her bag, not caring if the book's pages creased in her hurried movements or if her inkwell wasn't properly tight. She refused to look at Snape, angrily kicking her chair in and spinning on her heel to leave.
At the back of the classroom, James approached her as if he were corralling a wild animal, face filled with concern.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
She huffed in annoyance and moved to go around him, but he held his hands up to halt her. He peered into her face, before glancing up towards the front – towards what she assumed was Snape.
"I'm fine," she answered shortly.
"You don't look fine," Sirius commented carefully, as if this were something she weren't already aware of.
"Did something happen, Evans?" James pressed further and again, his eyes flitted towards the front of the classroom.
"No," she said in a clipped tone. She turned her head slightly, catching sight of Snape watching the three of them.
It was obvious to the three of them that something had happened.
"Don't go starting something," she warned viciously. "I mean it. Don't be arseholes."
They both looked at her in mild surprise, the vehemence in her voice striking. They nodded their agreement, and James finally let her pass.
It took the rest of the day's classes, lunch, a quick nap in the dorm, and dinner for Lily's hands to stop vibrating from the fury that had settled into her chest.
Her friend's had seemed to immediately understand she'd had a bad day; but she wasn't ready to share. Between Mulciber and Avery's extra harassment and Snape's apathy, it kept a steady stream of molten fury spinning in her stomach.
And so, in the Common Room later that night, the combined group of boys and girls knew to leave her alone, letting her focus on the book in front of her instead of trying to pull her into a conversation.
Peter, James, and Remus, with the help of Emmeline, were playing a paired game of Wizards Chess. Marlene was focused on an essay, nose nearly touching the parchment, while Sirius lounged across the sofa, nearly taking up all of the space.
"I've got to go," Lily said, catching sight of the time. She snapped the cover of her book shut. "Can you take this upstairs for me?"
"Sure," Marlene said, accepting it blindly from her, never letting her eyes stray from the page in front of her.
"Why've you got to go?" Sirius questioned, asking more out of boredom than true curiosity.
"Because of a date with Ulysses Labre," Marlene mocked absentmindedly, missing the glare from Lily. "Try not to get taken advantage of so often, yeah?"
"Right," Lily said with a scoff. She hadn't minded doing the patrol before, but now… "So much for being nice."
She shuffled around Emmeline and Remus, who sat on the floor in front of the fire. She granted a tired wave when James caught her eye, but she turned before she could decipher the look on his face.
"Ulysses, the Hufflepuff captain?" she heard him ask.
"There aren't many Ulysses at Hogwarts, Prongs."
"Don't be out too late," Marlene called to her back, but Lily waved her off.
Maybe taking a stroll around the castle would be calming. McLaggen, the 5th Year counterpart, was waiting for her out on the landing. He smiled nervously.
"Sorry you're paired with me," he said. "Frank told me earlier that Jacquelyn swapped."
"It's okay," Lily said sincerely, not blaming him. "Remus and I usually split up by floors. He usually takes the ground floor up to the third floor, and I walk through fourth through seventh. That okay?"
"We can split up? Our patrols, I mean?" McLaggen asked.
"Of course," she replied. "I guess it depends on the night. Weekends, maybe you and Jacquelyn walk together. Weeknights aren't usually that bad."
McLaggen was already grinning in relief. "That's great. Sometimes Jacquelyn likes to gossip a bit too much, you know? I'm glad we don't always have to patrol together."
She laughed. "I'll see you back here at 11?"
McLaggen nodded in agreement and took off towards the staircase.
Lily released a long breath and rubbed her face tiredly. With less-than-purposeful steps, she began the familiar trek of the castle.
-:-:--:-:--:-:--:-:--:-:--:-:--:-:-
"Owl for you," Lily prompted the next morning, knocking Marlene's elbow.
"Huh – what?" she said distractedly, looking up from her essay. "Oh, hello, Tawnie."
The owl hooted impatiently, dropping the letter onto the table in the Great Hall before accepting the piece of bacon Lily offered and flying off.
"It's from Marc," Marlene said, pleased, pushing aside her unfinished work to read the letter. "He's been in the north of the country, taking care of his 'assigned duties' – I'm sure he's convinced his coworkers to go to the pub – but was finally able to write."
"That's exciting," Lily said, intrigued. "Did he say what his 'duties' are? What's he in the north for?"
Marlene skimmed the rest of the letter, shrugging her shoulders. "He doesn't say. What cities are to the north?"
"No idea. Inverness? Aberdeen? I wonder if he'd mind me owling some questions about being an Auror…"
"Nu-huh," her friend rejected. "I'm not letting you owl my brother – might give him the wrong idea."
Lily guffawed. "No thanks. He saw me in those horrid, pink footie-pajamas during 3rd Year holidays when your parents let me stay. I can never look him in the eye again."
"Principal of the thing," Marlene replied primly, tucking the letter away. "Besides, he said he wouldn't be able to owl for a while – seems all secretive."
Lily's mind buzzed suddenly with imagination – a secret mission? Tracking down a dark wizard in a small township in the cold, wet country. She hummed in thought, compelled by the imagery.
"How were patrols last night?"
"Uneventful," she sighed, closing the book she had brought with her to breakfast. "I'm pretty sure McLaggen didn't even check the floors like Remus does. He was back at the landing before I was – seemed like he'd been there for a while."
"Can't trust anyone but Remus," Marlene sympathized mockingly. "What is it, the kid's second patrol?"
She mused. "At least his third. Either way, I probably should've walked with him. I just wasn't thinking, I guess."
"Did something happen yesterday? During Potions? You were happy at breakfast – and then, the rest of the day…"
"Just some gits from Slytherin," she admitted. "You know Mulciber and Avery?" She purposefully left out Snape's name.
"Ugh, those arseholes?"
They inconspicuously glanced at the Slytherin table, spotting the two easily. They were eating their food with little thought to manners. Lily looked away quickly when she noticed Snape sitting nearby, not wanting him to think she was looking towards him.
"Yeah," Lily grimaced. "They were being completely perverted and gross when I was heading to class."
"Did they do something? I swear I'll –"
"No," she assured. "Just said some pervy things. I was able to ignore them, but..."
"Some day you're going to have to do more than ignore them."
She brushed the concern off. "I'll worry about that when the time comes."
"You'd let us know if they give you more trouble, right?" Marlene asked seriously.
She laughed. "You sound just like Potter. Of course I will. You can be the first to curse them after I do."
"Oh, I will absolutely be the first to hex them. Wait – what do you mean I sound like James?"
"He was in the Entrance Hall when they were there the other day. He said something similar. I won't get into it – I should probably be getting to Transfiguration. Did you have plans later?"
Marlene grimaced. "James was thinking of another practice after dinner."
"What? Didn't you guys have an impromptu one this morning?"
"Yes," she said miserably. "He woke up in a right, foul mood. Apparently we're such horrible players, he's resorted to torture."
Lily laughed. "You're the one who signed up for the team."
"That was before I knew what a hardass captain he'd be."
Lily resisted commenting on James's habits as captain. "See you later, then. Good luck!"
-:--:-:--:-:--:-:--:-:--:-:-
At lunch, Marlene shoved at Lily's elbow. "Were you still able to meet later? I was hoping to go over that Defense essay."
"Of course," she said absentmindedly as she dished herself some porridge. "What happened to practice?"
"Cancelled," Marlene said pleased, pouring herself a cup of fruit juice. "Did you hear that McGonagall caught Jacquelyn with Ulysses in one of the broom cupboards on the third floor this morning? She got five detentions – her shirt was nearly off – Ulysses is banned from playing in the first game."
"Wow," Lily extolled, abstractedly satisfied with the unexplainable inner workings of karma. "Harsh for Jacquelyn."
Marlene scoffed. "With Ulysses out, James must think we have a better chance. Viola! Less practice."
"What was McGonagall doing on the third floor?"
"What?"
Lily hummed, taking a bite of a crisp. "I just wondered what McGonagall was doing on the third floor. Her classroom is on the first."
Marlene paused for a moment, pondering this fact. "Huh. You know what, I have no idea. That is odd."
-:--:-:--:-:--:-:--:-:--:-:--:-:--:-:-
At dinner later that night, Marlene leaned into Lily's ear conspiratorially. "She was tipped off."
"Who was tipped off?" Lily waved to James, who sat across from her, to hand her the plate of biscuits. He did as asked, curiously with a frown and a furrowed brow.
"McGonagall."
Lily pulled back, confused. "Tipped off about what?"
Marlene pulled back as well, huffing disappointedly at Lily's lack of interest or awareness. "Jacquelyn? Labre?"
"What about Labre?" Sirius cut in nosily. "The Ulysses Labre?"
"He was caught with Jacquelyn – the 5th Year?" Marlene prompted. "McGonagall found 'em in one of the 3rd floor broom cupboards."
"No," Sirius gasped with a bit too much surprise. "Prongs, did you hear? Labre got caught with that 5th Year."
James looked unaffected, slicing into his poultry with sharp movements. "I think I did hear that. Pity about the first game – Hufflepuff. He's the best seeker they've had in a few years."
"Didn't you have a date with him just last night, Evs?" Sirius prompted, concerned. "Can't be easy on the heart, can it?"
"What?" Lily balked, already having returned to her meal and incredibly confused as she heard her name pulled back into the conversation. "What's happened, now?"
"A date? With Ulysses? With you?"
She scoffed. "Who said that?"
"Marlene," Sirius answered, as if it were obvious.
The blonde gasped. "I did not! He had a date with Jacquelyn. That 5th Year."
Sirius's brow furrowed. "Then why'd Lily go on a date with him?"
"I didn't," Lily answered for herself. "I covered Jacquelyn's patrols last night. Why're we even talking about this?"
Marlene sighed exasperatedly. "Because McGonagall was tipped off this morning about Labre. I thought you'd want to know."
"Oh. No," she said succinctly, having already moved past the gossip. "Pass the margarine?"
James, more quick to comply with her request this time, handing over the dish.
"Alright, Prongs?" Sirius asked him, thumping him on the back.
"Brilliant," he responded mildly.
