Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, but the ones that I do.
A/N Here's chapter 21. Am I making a liar out
of myself?
Anyway, I'm sorry if these last chapters have sucked... I'm trying--but--well, normally I write from the heart, I just go with it you know? And lately it's been just filling up the page...Let's hope this chapter isn't like that!
It's probably been bad because there hasn't been and Lily and James interaction...I'm trying to get them in at least the same area--or see each other or something this chapter.
Is this really turning in to 'A soap opera' as one reviewer so kindly put it. Well--let's see...Maybe that's what I'll do for a living when I'm older...Write screen plays for soap operas and eat potato chips. Pleasant? I think so.
I wrote this chapter out--around 6000 words I think...I didn't like it. I mean--it's the Biggest part of the story--well, sort of--and it SUCKS, I mean--awful! Terrible! I've gone through it again and again...And...No--it's just not working.
So, I took a very long break off of it, and read over it again--it didn't get better magically, so I used my muggle self to fix it.
"Let's cross our fingers and hope for the best."--Chudley Cannons Motto
Also, I didn't sent this through my beta-reader--because well...I felt it was just--too confusing as it was. I hate it--and ick, well--I'll send her the next chapter, which...I'll start working on.
And Imagine...I thought I'd have this story done by now!
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Flirting With the Enemy
By
Sierra Sitruc
Chapter 21 Midnight
James Potter sat, alone, in the dark, because now, --when he thought it couldn't get any worse-- the torch had finally burnt itself out. Where had all the magic gone?!
James wondered if he could stand up...When he tried, he quickly found out he was too weak to do anything physical past crawling.
He decided that thinking of an escape, was the next best thing to escaping. He figured that unless that Death Eater was really dumb, someone would be up to check up on the 'mysterious stag'. Because while James himself had not been seen, the stag had.
James willed himself to transform back into the stag, cursing himself for ever changing back. He was too weak; the potion and fighting Moony for so long had left him helpless.
He struggled to transform into Prongs once more, but failed, again. He was beginning to sweat from the effort, he had no physical or magical strength--he might as well be dead. Remus and Lily were out there--and both could already be dead, unless he did something, and quickly.
Transform.....Transform...
Prongs...Prongs...Prongs...
Stag...Stag...Stag...
Change...
James chanted over and over in his mind, focusing on nothing else but changing into Prongs. He wasn't aware of anything else in the room, not the darkness, not the gentle dripping somewhere in the back ground, not the uncomfortable stone he was leaning against.
He was lying down, just laying, hardly even breathing or moving at all.
He finally felt something stir deep within him. Not like a growling stomach, or an emotion...More like something alive was in him, and was waking up--stretching and yawning.
James Potter was just smart enough, just desperate enough, just strong enough and just focused enough; to finally transform into the majestic stag, that was his counter-part.
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"Evans, I almost thought you weren't coming." Lucius said good naturedly. Lily was slightly distracted, as she had just found out that one of her oldest friends had just admitted to have been a Death Eater since he was sixteen. Not on the everyday schedule.
What had he meant by he'd gotten Isabella in this mess? Had he been the one to capture her? Or did he in some way turn Isabella into a target?
"Of course I'm coming, I just got a bit distracted on my way here..." Lily's voice trailed off suddenly, as she caught sight of Isabella, sitting in the corner, curled up in the fetus position. "Isabella!" Isabella looked like a bird with a broken wing, like she'd lost the one thing that helped her escape--flying.
"Lily." Isabella whispered, suddenly blushing at being seen in such a pitiful state. She'd always had a lot of pride, and dignity that was obvious to anyone who knew her. Being seen like this was embarrassing.
Patrick kept his distance, but you could tell--even covered by all his robes--that he was holding himself back from leaping to his sister's aid. "Are you okay? Isabella--he didn't--."
"No, just the Crutacius curse, I'll be alright."
"Like hell you will!" Lily veered around and eyed Lucius angrily. "Let her go! Just set her free--please!" She demanded, her face a brilliant shade of magenta.
"That wasn't part of the deal Evans; she won't be hurt anymore--but she won't be set free." Lucius grinned wickedly and then turned to Patrick and they discussed Voldemort's orders, quietly. "Okay then, let's get moving. The Ceremony starts in a half hour--and we all have our roles."
Lucius grabbed hold of Lily's arm roughly and Patrick went to his sister and helped her up. Isabella looked shocked out of her skin that a Death Eater was being so gentle. Then a look of understanding crossed her face, and Lily knew that Isabella realized who was hiding in the cloak. It must've been a twin thing.
Lucius did not notice the moment as he dragged her along behind him out the door way; Lily flustered around getting her hair out of her face, and for a brief moment of normalcy, she wished for a hair tie.
Patrick and Isabella were behind Lucius and Lily as they stormed down the hallway, making a lot of racket--none of them noticed the large dog hiding in the shadows...
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~Moments Before~
Padfoot had been trailing the blood path for a while, without any luck. Noting remotely interesting had happened until he caught the whisper of voices...
"No, just the Crutacius curse, I'll be alright."
"Like hell you will!"
That was all Padfoot needed to hear, to know who he was listening to. Isabella and Lily.
He crouched down, straining to hear more conversation, and when they came out of the room, he slid into the shadows; blending in with the dark, cautiously following them.
Lily was easily not cooperating, from what he could tell as she fought aggressively to get away from the Death Eater's grip. Isabella on the other hand, looked tired and weak--with good reason. She leaned against the Death Eater who had her, for support and the pair of them lagged behind Lily and her Death Eater.
Isabella's group were soon far enough behind that Lily and the other Death Eater could no longer be seen.
Padfoot decided that now was the time to make his move. He barked, loud enough for Isabella and the Death Eater to hear, but quiet enough so it didn't travel to Lily's ears.
The Death Eater and Isabella whirled around, Isabella recognizing him immediately and she looked surprised to see him, the other Death Eater's expression could not be seen.
"No, go back boy!" Isabella urged, her voice ragged.
"What--Isabella?"
"It's okay...He's a friend." Isabella explained to the Death Eater.
A loud sigh was heard from the Death Eater. "What do you want me to do?"
"Just--forget you ever saw him." Isabella knelt down and called Padfoot to her, she leaned in and whispered in his ear. "I'll be okay, this guy will protect me. I'm not sure where we're going--Just get out of hear."
The Death Eater leaned over, "The exit is farther down. Look for a ladder that leads upwards." He told the dog. The dog snuffed, obviously unwilling to believe a Death Eater.
"He's trustworthy...Just go--please." Isabella begged the dog, the dog shook it's head. "Look for James."
"James is dead--." The Death Eater started to say.
Sirius transformed back into himself. "Just tell me where he was last."
The Death Eater, too shocked to do anything else, simply gave him the directions he needed.
"Thanks." Sirius muttered, and transformed into Padfoot and got a pat on the head from Isabella, and then he was off in search of his best friend.
Isabella turned to her brother, "That was nice of you."
"I know, just hope no one finds out about it--now let's hurry!" Patrick practically lifted her up and carried her down the hall way at top speed.
Isabella and Patrick caught up quickly to Lucius and Lily. Lily was tripping over her robes he was pulling her so fast, her hood was still down and Isabella could see her expression--it was a cross between confused and frightened--not a good mix.
"Don't hurt the prisoner you idiot!" Patrick said, threateningly--he was up one station in authority then Lucius--but not for long, because Lucius was replacing his rank.
"Oh, sorry forgot you had attachments to her." Lucius sneered. "I can't believe you associated with filth like her--either of you." Lucius nodded at the twins and continued roughing Lily up.
They continued and made it to the large doors which Lucius flung open and entered.
Well, this is it Lily old girl--whatever's going on in there will not be pleasant--look out for sharp objects anything that might save you. You can still fight your way out of this. Lily prepped herself. On the bright side, Isabella is in the hands of her brother--so there's still hope. Not that I know what that hope is for...
They went down the long vibrantly lit hallway and came to the same bonfire Lily had seen earlier. Voldemort was still there, and as soon as he spotted the small crowd he magically tied Lily and Isabella in chains and shoved a potion into Patrick's hands. Patrick immediately drank it, and sat down and then Voldemort drank a potion--Lily couldn't tell the color-- as soon as he did, a strange effect came over both Patrick and Voldemort...
Voldemort seemed to be sucking the power right out of Patrick--and Patrick was willing. He glowed a light luminescent blue...Just like James had looked hours ago with Lily. Voldemort had taken on a red-ish glow that made his eyes look watery. The blue light from Patrick began to feed Voldemort--making him stronger then before.
When the process was complete a few Death Eaters help Patrick to his feet and led him away. Well, there goes that escape plan, Lily thought.
Two Death Eaters then came and lifted Isabella up--Lily could actually feel the tension in the air...They were pressing for time.
They took Isabella and repeated the process with Voldemort--but it back fired. Since Isabella wasn't willing it just spread her powers in all directions and she fainted--it might have been amusing, had it not been under the same circumstances as it was. The explosion of sparks all over the room angered Voldemort--and it was only luck that kept Isabella from getting killed.
"Master, we must hurry--midnight is approaching--and the moon is at it's peak." The foreign potions maker said in rough English.
"Right, right." Voldemort eyed Isabella furiously. "Get her out of my sight!" Then he fixed his eyes on Lily. "Now, YOU, finally we have you under control and cooperating" Lily said nothing--partly because she was afraid, and partly by choice. "Are all the creatures out there already?" Voldemort asked a short Death Eater.
"Yes." The feminine voice answered. "All our sorted and ready for the Ceremony, my lord."
"Good, good." Voldemort looked positively pleased. "Everything is going according to plan--and I have my most important piece to the Ceremony too." Voldemort approached Lily, and whispered the spell that freed her. She stepped back immediately, but his hand grabbed her arm--and immediately she felt 10 degrees colder. "Cooperate and things will be easier on you." He whispered in her ear, sending chills down her spine.
He gripped her arm harder, his nails digging into her skin and he let go and pushed her towards two Death Eaters she recognized as Crabbe and Goyle. They led her out, and she walked along, barely able to keep up with their speedy pace.
They led her to a room, where a port key, in the shape of a mummified hand, took them outside in the blink of an eye.
It was desert everywhere. Black sand--she'd expected it to be hot, but it was freezing cold. She also expected wind--but it was deathly quiet...The place seemed familiar, but she couldn't lay her finger on it--no time to contemplate things however, they were moving again, walking towards a set point.
The moon was directly over head, and it seemed to be shining perfectly on an area wear a crowd of creatures had gathered...As the party Lily was with got closer to their destination she saw something--painted in blood, was Satan's sign. A star with a circle around it. "The Scapegoat" some called it. It was huge--40 feet wide was Lily's guess.
"Do you recognize the blood Lily?" Voldemort asked, amusedly as the two henchmen drug her closer, following their master. Lily didn't reply to the dark lord--sickened that he'd used her first name. "That's the blood of the man you killed--It was what Mulciber had given me to show his loyalty--and the Ceremony did call for someone who had slain another..." Voldemort then cleared his throat and recited something. "Blood of the murdered, body of the slaughterer, lain together shall call the power..." Voldemort smirked at her--and that was when Lily started to fight.
She put up a vicious battle. Kicking, screaming--turning upside down, twisting in every direction to escape. Crabbe and Goyle had to hold fast, and actually try to keep a grip on her.
"Evans! Remember to cooperate!" Voldemort hissed, and he held his wand to Lily's neck and all movement stopped. She was bent over forwards at the time he drew his wand on her. So she righted herself and they proceeded to the scapegoat.
Lily began to make out creatures--a vampire, a banshee (silenced), a giant, a mermaid (more correctly, a siren)...Dark Creatures--Remus the werewolf was out cold on the ground... The siren was the most pitiful, she was dark green and scaly. Dried up, from lack of water.
The giant growled at them, and the banshee tried to scream at them--none of the creatures moved from their spots at the five corners of the scapegoat. They stayed still, but stared intently at Lily and Voldemort.
Voldemort then called upon his Potions maker--the foreign one, and passed out 5 vials of potion to the creatures, the werewolf having to be force-fed it in a rush--Everything was hurried, because time was running out. Lily had figured out that the Ceremony had to start at midnight, or it would not work at all--or so she hoped, and maybe it was past time.
Then Voldemort himself drank the potion and then held out the last, and final vial to Lily.
"Drink it, or I'll make sure neither you or any of your friends make it out alive."
"I assumed they were going to die anyway." Lily said harshly.
"Drink it Evans!" Voldemort demanded, the liquid in the vial shook with the rage from his shaking hands. The black liquid didn't look at all appealing to drink.
"I'm sure that potion's full of calories." Lily said, pretending to be ignorant.
"God damn it Evans! Drink this now, or you, Patil--and everyone else I can get my hands on--will be turned into what Davy Gudgeon is. Davy, for his part--was standing in the center of the star, hands stretched upwards to the full moon--it illuminated his face and made Lily shiver.
It made Lily worry--she didn't want Isabella or Remus to face Davy's fate...
She glanced around the area--wondering if there was anyone around to save her--but all the other Death Eaters were gone.
Lily looked into Voldemort's face--his eyes were furious. "Mess this up Evans--and I promise you will spend eternity in the depths of hell--with me." His beady red eyes glittered, then and Lily knew that he was serious.
"If I do this--you have to promise that Isabella will live--unharmed or hurt physically by you." Voldemort nodded impatiently. "How can I know you'll do that for me?"
"You can see to it yourself." Voldemort said, "Now, drink the fucking potion!"
"Right then." Lily knew it was stupid--you could never trust Voldemort--but--what he could do to her if she didn't, and what he would do to everyone she cared about... There was just too much at risk. Maybe everything would turn out alright in the end.
She grabbed the vial and gulped it down in one swallow.
"Come now." Voldemort directed Lily to one side of Davy and instructed her to lie down arms stretched out--Voldemort did the same.
It was eerily quiet. No sound came to her ears--nothing. Everything seemed to be dead in the area...And the dark creatures had all laid down as well... It seemed like they were all prepared for death, but not in the heroic way, they were taking death lying down. The only thing standing in the area was Davy, who kept his deformed hands lifted up towards the moon.
It must be midnight by now...She thought.
Lily closed her eyes, as she felt a heaviness surround her--like she had become a dead weight. Then she felt nothing--and became entirely numb. The only thing she could move were her eyes... and they focused on Davy above her. She was helpless now, this she knew for certain.
Then, all at once--the silence ended and all that was left was a noise--crashing, thundering, and the ground shook with all it's might. Lily was surprised they were all still in place.
Lily closed her eyes tightly. So this is it, I'm going to die surrounded by a bunch of crazy lunatics! She thought desperately.
She chanced a look and saw a deep black light surrounding Davy--it was like something was working through him. It could have been Satan himself, and she wouldn't have been able to tell.
The black light became a spinning cylinder raising towards the moon. It felt like forever--but in reality all the happenings came to pass in exactly one moment.
Lily managed to keep her eyes from shutting and observed a bright emerald green light shoot from within her body out towards to black cylinder, Voldemort had a beam of blood red light that seemed to consume his entire body--and over to her left, Lily saw Remus--amber lights--all three beams of light united together in the center.
The other dark creatures all held a dull muddy brown color of light, feeding towards the giant beam of light that was Davy Gudgeon.
Lily still couldn't feel anything--but she suddenly couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. All was dark to her, but around her the action didn't stop.
Remus' light continued to glow--and by the look on Voldemort's face, it wasn't supposed to happen like that. The other dark creature's had long ago stopped feeding their lights--they'd not had enough power to last.
Voldemort's eyes shut finally--and all sound was gone--all movement stopped. The black cylinder of light, froze in mid motion.
A faded emerald green mist arose from Lily's lifeless body, and a red mist did the same from Voldemort's, and an amber one rose from Remus' werewolf form, each small mist of light, took on the figure of it's previous owner, but while they looked like humans--they had more of an appearance of ghosts.
The red and green mists flew up and spiraled into the center of the black light--and the mists disappeared and then the black cylinder of light, retreated back into Davy; sucking inside of him like a black hole.
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Lily found herself in another form...She was a vibrant green color, identical to her eyes--which now glowed to the point that they lit up the dark. Speaking of which, she had no idea where she was.
All she knew, was that there was only blackness around her. She was in a nothingness.
She whimpered, happy to be able to make sound.
"Hello?" She called--no echo, the sound just seemed to die and get absorbed into the darkness.
"Evans." A voice hissed--and as Voldemort entered her range of vision, the nothingness became something--a mountain. Cliffs and sharp rocks jutted out all over--it was like an avalanche had occurred just moments before.
"Where are we? What happened?" Lily asked--wondering just exactly what had she gotten herself into.
"Some people call it, the life and death--limbo? I've never bothered with all those muggle sayings. Either way, we are in that place between being alive--and being dead." Voldemort observed Lily's look of horror with amusement. "Don't be alarmed, you won't feel a thing--since, technically you're already dead."
"But--how can you get back?" Lily asked, frustrated with not knowing what was going on.
"First off, as of now--both our bodies are currently laying lifeless in the center of the Sands of Death Desert. But as long as my followers obey me, they will still be intact when I go back--though it won't do you any good." Voldemort stopped and studied his red glowing hands for a moment. "Anyway, as soon as we combine our souls--since this is the form we're in as of now--I'll go back to my body a little weaker, and you'll--disappear into nothing."
Now, that sounds nice. Lily thought sarcastically to herself. "Nothing? Combing our souls?" Lily couldn't help but not feel anything towards this subject. It seemed too unreal.
"Yes--all I have to do is--well, I'm not exactly positive on what we do to connect--Salazar never specified that in his studies."
"Slytherin?" Lily inquired, biding her time.
"Yes, the old founder himself. He came upon this ceremony by accident, while trying to resurrect his dead sister."
"How nice of him." Lily said starkly.
"I thought so. It didn't bring his sister back--but he knew he was close to doing so. He tried again on the next full moon, this time while bringing along his non-magical servant." Voldemort's eyes blazed with passion as he spoke. "They were trapped here until, as Slytherin reported, his servant bumped into him and their souls melded together. Only Slytherin came back to life. This time stronger. As I will be--thanks to you."
"Why isn't he alive still? Isn't this process suppose to make you immortal?" Lily asked.
"As I said, the servant was non-magical and did not have all the attributes that you have. For immortality, my research tells me, you must have someone's blood on your hands. I had originally planned to use Patrick Patil--but, you seemed so much better the substitute. The best way yet to punish a traitor. Take away their after life."
It made some sense to Lily, but she was still stalling for time...Time for what, she wasn't sure. "So...you'll live forever, just because I have magic and have killed someone?"
"That is correct." Voldemort said, amusement clear in his voice--then his expression changed. "Though, something didn't go as planned...There could be something faulty with it."
"What?" Lily asked innocently.
"Lupin...He should have died just as quick as the others." Voldemort seemed to be thinking aloud. "He kept glowing, long after them--it might have caused a chain reaction of sorts." Lily waited for him to elaborate, which he did. "Everything in the Ceremony had to be just so for it to work...The potions, the possessor (Gudgeon), the dark creatures even had to lie just so on a particular point of the star, and the timing had to be a full moon exactly at midnight, when all is silent. Then the scapegoat had to be painted just the right size and place--in the right blood."
"What about the place--the Sands of Death Desert? It's just a grave yard--."
"Oh yes! That was in fact, one of the most important parts!" Voldemort for a moment, sounded very out of character. "That particular point, where the scapegoat was made--is the most unholy place on Earth."
"Really?" Lily tried not to let her voice squeak.
"Thousands have died on that point--for hundreds and hundreds of years. It's standard to be taught in History of Magic about the greatest battle of light and dark that had happened there. In 1211; 3,000 wizards and witches died in a week long battle of light and dark." Lily decided to let him retell something she already knew to her.
(A/N Chapter 18, 8th paragraph or so has information too--Bits of this chapter *has* been hinted at before...But I don't know if you all read into the clues.)
"Did you ever wonder why? They don't teach you that, that's for sure." Voldemort reminded her of a very twisted Professor McGonagall suddenly. "1211 was the last year of Slytherin's life. He was there in that desert, trying to resurrect an army and a force powerful enough to bring his beloved sister back, when the 'fighters of evil' came in and killed him." Voldemort sighed sadly. "They were trying to stop him from bringing an undead army to--life. Its a advanced spell of the one Davy Gudgeon had. So many died, because at night--when the battles stopped for rest, he would go about the battle field with a group of men, resurrecting those who had fallen. His army would get larger, while the other army shrunk."
"That's sick!" Lily blurted.
"He almost won that battle." Voldemort continued, undisturbed. "But in the end, some knuckle-head was out looting the bodies--and caught Slytherin in the act and reported it to the side of the light. They began burning the bodies--and so Slytherin's army was no longer able to rejuvenate itself."
"It's a good thing though, imagine an undead army made of Davies wandering the world--what was that all about anyway?" Lily asked, interested for once. "Why was Salazar doing that in the first place?"
"He was conjuring bodies from the black sand. The sand has magical powers within it--dark powers. It's the most magical place in the world, aside from the Bermuda Triangle."
"Oh." Was all she could say as a reply. The thing about Dark Lords, is that once they've done something great, awful and clever--they want to spill the glory.
"After that great battle, more kept dying--unexplainably, the fort we were in, is the only building within hundreds of miles to that point, people have become that afraid. The only people who come around these days, are archaeologist wizards and people like me." Voldemort grinned ruthlessly. "Ghosts show up every now and then--not the happy kind of Hogwarts--the tortured kind. The only things left of the bodies' resurrected that fateful week. Those ghosts."
Lily shivered, almost glad she wouldn't go back to that place.
"They sink into the ground until someone summons them, like Davy did, or until they get bored or someone disturbs their sleep. Like pesky archaeologists." Voldemort sneered, "They were what made up the black shaft of light we saw, their bodiless haunted souls creeping out to serve their lord--Satan you know." Voldemort added casually.
"You mean--that the people on the good side are trapped there as well?" Lily asked.
"Oh them--no, you can't resurrect something that went to Heaven."
"So Davy went to Hell then?"
"Yes, it appears that way--but he's not there anymore." Voldemort chuckled to himself.
"Where's his soul then? He didn't die out in the desert." Lily pointed out.
"That's true, but he will go there as well--all resurrected beings eventually do. It calls them, and sooner or later he will give into the urge. It's the closest place on Earth that they can get to Hell."
"Oh." Lily said unthinkingly.
"You really could use a vocabulary lesson Evans." Voldemort said with a sigh, "It's too bad you would never cooperate with me, you were such a powerful witch."
"I see your already thinking of me in past tense." Lily noted.
"I am, aren't I?" Voldemort grinned wickedly. "You could have saved yourself a long time ago Evans, if you'd only done as I said--but no, you and that Potter had to get in my way. You weren't even a good traitor Evans!" Voldemort laughed coldly. "You could never pick which side you were on, always torn one way or another. Traitors are all the same, they're fine for a week until their best friend gets in trouble."
"What...Have you done to the past traitors?" Lily asked, out of curiosity.
"You are my favorite case, because you are muggle-born filth, pureblood traitors are normally turned into tortured to death--in the worst ways possible. 500 boggarts is always amusing." Lily raised an eye brow at this. "You have by far the worst punishment, I've never been quite capable of taking someone's soul away. I would have done it sooner--but the potion you and I and the rest drank took my most capable potions master eight years to make."
"Why waste the Ceremony on me? You could have used one of your followers to do it. Someone who was cooperative." Lily spat out.
"Well, I'd already killed off four of my best allies--all the dark creatures, you see, were Death Eaters, or in some way helping my cause. They volunteered to be the four of the five points, all used to force the souls out of the ground and you and me into it."
"Why'd you use Remus? Why him specifically?"
"He was the most powerful werewolf around--and the fact that he was the only one fighting for the light helped out quite a bit. It was only a benefit that two of his best friends were Aurors."
"James and Sirius..." Lily whispered, the first time in a while it occurred to her, that they would discover her and Remus out dead in the desert (hopefully) if Voldemort didn't do something with their bodies. Then again, James could be dead--but she thought she'd feel something if he was dead... "What happened to James? I think you owe me that answer for the big favor I'm doing for you."
"Ah! Yet another complicated part of the plan." Voldemort really did love explaining his detailed plans to her. "The werewolf--and all the other creatures, all had to have killed something; or in Lupin's case, needed to have tasted it's prey's blood. I simply shoved him and his friend together two get two bird's with one stone. So much easier then killing James separately. And imagine what will happen, when the Wizarding World find's out, their beloved hero--James Potter, was killed by his best friend!" Voldemort cackled.
"That's revolting! You sick bastard..." It dawned on Lily--that with James being so deeply involved with the recent dark forces, that he was probably gaining a lot of fame. She still didn't believe that he was dead though, he just couldn't be! And if he was...She was glad Voldemort planned to kill her...But if he was alive--
Lily then abruptly, no longer wanted to die. She wanted to live--but she had no idea how to go about it.
"Wait a second...Who's to say who goes back to life to live--and who disappears? When we meld together--or whatever? How do we know I won't just pass right through you and we'll be trapped on this--rocky mountain thing forever?"
"So many questions Evans! Well, the one who is more powerful in the magical area lives, or course." Voldemort said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I have far more magical ability then you."
"Is that so?" Lily dared to venture. "Why did you want me on your side so badly--if you did not think of me as anything other then a threat to your power?"
Voldemort stared, questioning her with his eyes. "Evans, I wasn't afraid of you by yourself--I was afraid of what power you could have--if it combined with Potter. You two would have teamed up against me--the most powerful witch and wizard since me and Minerva McGonagall were rivals in school." Voldemort's eyes flickered for a moment as he said this. "I would have had twice the power, if that woman had just agreed to join up with me in my quest for power."
Lily wondered exactly what the pretense of this meant. That simple bit of information, had started up thousands of ideas and questions... Had McGonagall been the first one Voldemort tried to recruit? Had their been some crazy love affair that ended in shambles when she refused? Lily, dear, you really do have quite the imagination. Lily told herself. Too bad it'll all go to waste when I die. If you can call what I'm going to go through, death. She added miserably.
"Imagine--such a pair, you may not have defeated me--but you would have caused trouble. Dumbledore kept Potter so protected--never thinking I might just possibly go for a weak muggle-born--or so he thought, that was what I considered you as. I'm not stupid, any witch or wizard that has power is something to be wary of. Potter, now he was out of the question of getting at--but you were something of an easy target."
"Why didn't you just kill me then? Why make me join?"
"Honestly?" Voldemort asked with a evil glint in his red eyes. "I thought you'd have killed yourself by now--but then I saw you weren't that weak. That you were going to hold out, and I started using you for my own benefit. Funny, I began to even believe you liked it--then I saw otherwise. I told Potter one story and I'll tell you another."
"You talked to James?" Lily asked.
"Yes, well continuing. You didn't do as well as I planned--and then, your loyalties started faltering--you hadn't conceded like I thought you would to them. You couldn't even use the power I'd wanted from you to begin with!"
Lily felt a bit happy about that--one small triumph.
"Then you began that irritating lying--Yes I'll be loyal--but no that was a lie--blah, blah, blah--that was that last straw and you became my 'donateur d'âme' my 'soul giver'."
"Why did you want to kill Isabella? She was just my friend."
"Yes--but she was also--You know what, I'll just let you wonder about that. You'll have quite a while to wait for death. I've estimated, that the time it takes to 'kiss your soul' away, will be about a month. If you had been weaker--it would've wiped you out in a day or two. So, technically--I didn't lie completely to Potter when I told him 'you will have full strength and will be able live for a month, rather then a day or two.'"
"So that's what you told him, to get him to agree with willingly taking the potion and transferring power!" Lily cried out, "You bastard!"
"Well, it won't do any good now--he's dead." Voldemort laughed harshly.
"I can't believe it! You used his attachment for me to get him to do what you wanted him to!"
"I did, didn't I?" Voldemort mused.
Lily almost flung herself at him--but that would be giving him exactly what he wanted.
She thought of a question to distract him, "So--Voldie old boy." She taunted, "Why are we in this rocky terrain anyway?"
"Because--Well, I can make this place look however I want, it's all in the mind as to how it looks. No light in the tunnel."
"Oh, I'm so disappointed." Lily mocked, before sprinting of as fast as her newly formed legs could take her, as she leapt up the rocky side.
Voldemort's eyes watched in fury as she climbed--and he did something surprising--he simply floated--at a very fast pace--right at her!
She had to leap away from the hill she'd climbed to escape him, stumbling into some sharp rocks--and discovering she couldn't feel any pain.
Lily pushed herself up--and discovered very quickly, that all she had to do was think it--and she could do something.
She made herself fly, as Voldemort careened towards her again. She had a feeling, that he was going to try and merge their souls, by doing it physically...It didn't seem logical, but he was trying it anyway.
Lily flew, kicking her feet wildly around in the process--50 feet in the air, the limbo area seemed to have a storm about it. Perfect weather.
Voldemort barreled after her, and Lily noticed he had in his hands--a rock, and he threw it at her, but she simply imagined herself having a shield--and she did and the rock bounced off like a small pebble.
"You'll have to do better then that!" Voldemort yelled, disarming her shield with his own mind power. Mind vs. Mind.
"You'll have to do better then that, to catch me!" Lily hollered back, making herself fall towards the ground. She landed, on a large, flat rock, and stumbled backwards--almost losing balance and falling on her behind. She grunted and stabilized herself.
She looked up at the sky, and Voldemort was nowhere to be seen. She whirled around behind her, just in time to duck a behind attack.
"Sneaky bastard!" She yelped, forgetting to fly and running around on the rock.
"Sneaky traitor." Voldemort hissed, striking fear throughout Lily's entire soul, the one thing she had left.
Lily trembled, they danced circles around one another. Voldemort continually trying to plunge head first into her, and failing each time.
He swiped at her near the head, and she ducked. Crawling around on all fours to escape--a move that confused the expert killer greatly.
Voldemort raised his brow at her, and rushed after her, just in time to miss her by an inch. Lily rolled her self over--and promptly found herself falling on a set of sharp rocks. Her feet went through a few of them, but once again she felt nothing. And it was at that moment, she noticed she had no heart beat. She was breathing--but at the same time, feeling absolutely nothing.
It was at this moment of contemplation--thinking had always gotten Lily into trouble--that she felt Voldemort fall right through her system.
She gasped--no air passing through her lips. And she felt a powerful burn deep with in her body, where her heart should be pounding--but there was nothing.
The area was completely silent as Lily felt Voldemort's soul invade her own--and then an even deeper pain seared through her--she felt like a piece of her had just been stolen--and it had.
Voldemort stepped back, staring at her. Watching fascinated, as a piece of green emerald mist connected him and Lily. More and more green began to leave Lily...Like it was being drained.
There was a sudden flash--and Voldemort was gone, and Lily was in the dark once more.
The feeling of her soul being drained away didn't leave her. And it felt like it was still going on... He had said the process could take a month. Would she just stay in the dark, until her soul had been completely consumed by Voldemort's?
There was a noise suddenly, and an amber colored light appeared, glowing softly. It couldn't be...
A shadowy form of Remus Lupin appeared, looking frightened and confused.
"Lily?" He asked hoarsely, shocked to hear his own voice.
"Remus?"
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
A/N Yuck! This is terrible...This whole entire story seems rotten...Nobody likes it anymore--well, not nobody, but hardly anyone... I hate watching my reviews go down...It depresses me!
Anyway, you guys wouldn't mind--reviewing a ton? This is my Christmas Present to you all, you know.
Merry Christmas (Eve)!
Love you all,
*~Sierra~*