Sitting On The Baby By HPOD sufferer
Date: Sunday, 23rd September, 3:10PM
Rating: K+ (Scary and Supernatural themes may scare young children), sexual implications (very minor)
Summary: Sirius bounded into the compartment, making to sink into the seat next to Lily. The seat in which a sleeping baby...well, slept. Eyes popping, James grabbed his friend's wrists, stopping him from sitting. Sirius Black was frozen in a strange, half-sitting, half-standing position. Lily grabbed the baby quickly, and James released his friend. "You know," said Lily " Baby sitting doesn't usually consist of actually sitting on the baby."
A baby has appeared. Where from? Why? Who does the baby belong to? Harry travels to Marauder Era. AS A BABY! Something went seriously wrong on that Halloween night.
Chapter 26: I'll Do Anything
Love is this funny thing that I heard of once,
I thought it was silly, thought the person was a dunce.
Never thought it'd get me, never thought it'd come,
No matter what they tell you, it isn't very fun.
But I know one thing- for those I care for,
I'll do anything- I'll hurt myself and more.
As long as those I love are safe, I'm glad,
And now I know life isn't so bad.
Lily's hands were twisted in James's robes, and she felt the first drops of rain land on her neck, cold, wet and refreshing. She stared with a numb feeling in her stomach, her eyes deadened as she gazed at the back of James's head. Gently, fearfully, she rolled him over.
His skin was waxy, a slightly yellow tinge to the white of his cheeks. Lily rested her hand on his forehead, and it was rapidly cooling under her warm touch. The rain had started a fine drizzle. Lily's hand trailed down his face, a finger tracing his lips.
A hand rested on her shoulder. "Come on Miss Evans, we best move him," said the rough voice of her Defence Professor, Professor Oucirus. Lily didn't move, her eyes never leaving James's face. Oucirus shook her shoulder more insistently. "Come on."
"No," Lily said softly. "I-I can't."
Sirius's voice sounded near her, "Come on, L-Lily," his voice cracked. He glanced over her shoulder, at Peter. The boy was sitting up, and his hands seemed to be shaking uncontrollably.
"Is he-" Peter gulped, "Is he dead? D-did he d-die?"
Lily's arms were shaking, and the same question ran through her brain. James wasn't moving. She couldn't even see a rise of his chest that meant he was breathing. The Defence Professor knelt beside her, a hand going to James's wrist. He dropped it a few minutes later.
"We best get him up to the school, can't leave him out here- it ain't right," he said gruffly. He stood up and conjured a levitating stretcher, and with Sirius's and Lily's help, James was taken away. Sirius went to Peter. Lily quietly busied herself with collecting Harry in her arms, who was asleep.
"You okay?" Sirius asked, his voice low. Peter nodded, his face still stunned. The battle-weary threesome joined the throng trudging back up to the castle. As Lily passed by Snape, their eyes caught, and she paused. Peter put a hand on her arm.
"Leave him Lily. This is all his fault." Peter's voice was cold and dead. Lily wrenched her arm free.
"Go to the castle Peter, I'll ... I'll catch up," she turned to Snape and Sirius and Peter left. "It was you, wasn't it?" She said softly.
Snape looked at her, his face unreadable. "Some things have to be done, Evans." he glanced up to where Sirius and Peter were walking solemnly beside James's body. "I didn't plan for anyone to die...at least now."
Lily looked him in the eye. Silently she turned her back on him and walked off, and Snape was left alone. Once she was out of his sight, he followed.
The pressing need to be with those who'd been at the battle urged at Lily to take action, but she ignored it. Remembering that as Head Girl she had responsibilities, Lily made her way to the seventh floor corridor. The portrait on the wall seemed slightly brighter. The figure emerged from the shadows, inclining it's head. "The Chosen One," she said, and the portrait opened.
Scared faces, anxious voices and nervous activity greeted Lily. People bounded forward, demanding news. A sixth year noticed her subdued manner, and called for attention. Lily thanked them, and spoke. "Thankyou. It's over. You can go back now."
People grinned, streaming out, pushing and shoving and laughing. Alice slipped from the crowd and touched Lily gently on the elbow. "Is everyone ok?" she asked softly.
"I'm fine," Lily said.
Alice's hand held her elbow tighter. "I said, is everyone alright?"
Lily tried to nod, but quickly changed it to a shake of her head. She desperately tried to fight the burning in her eyes, the tightening in her throat, the choking sensation in her chest. Her limbs ached, and something inside her felt like it was trying to claw its way out.
Alice's arms had wrapped themselves around her, Harry squished in the middle. Lily clutched to the shoulder of her friend's jumper, the soft wool wrapping around her curling fingers. Alice's hand patted her on the back. "What happened?" was the whisper in Lily's ear.
"James," Lily choked before the tears squeezed out of her eyes; her nose and eyes growing hot, her cheeks flushing. Her chest heaved with sobs, because Lily was scared, and she didn't know what was wrong, but she knew it was bad, and it had been a horrible morning, and it was oh-so-much. Alice made crooning sounds in her ear, holding her and she cried.
Lily hiccuped, wiping her eyes furiously. "I-I want-" she took a shuddering breath "-I want to see him..."
"He's in the hospital wing, right?" Lily shrugged, and they moved in that direction.
The Hospital Wing was very busy when they arrived, and she was immediately accosted by Sirius Black. His eyes were bright, and hope flared in Lily's chest. "He's alive!" Sirius crowed, pulling her over to one of the beds. James looked very pale against the white sheets. His eyes were still closed.
"What's wrong with him then?" Lily's voice said fearfully. Sirius's face fell, and gestured mutely to the matron who came over.
"What did you tell her?" she asked Lily sharply, pointing at Sirius.
"He is alive, right?" Alice affirmed.
"Just," said the matron stiffly- patting Lily awkwardly at her expression. "He's in what called a coma," she said shortly, fluffing James's pillow before moving onto the next bed.
"Wait!" Lily cried. "Can't you- I mean, wake him, or-"
Madame Pompfrey shook her head sadly. "That was a nasty dose of curse he got, not to mention the bump to the head. I could cause him serious damage if I woke him artificially."
Lily's eyes locked on James's form, and she willed the constrictions in her chest to go away. "But- he will wake, soon?"
"Hopefully. If you pray my dear- not that I'm the religious type, mind you- if I was, I'd have to burn myself at the stake..."
"What do you mean, hopefully?" Lily said insistently.
Madam Pompfrey span around from where she was dabbing at a Ravenclaw's cut eyebrow. She spoke softly, sneaking covet looks around her as if scared the others would hear. "Miss Evans- Lily, James is hurt. His mind doesn't know whether it's safe. It's gone somewhere else, somewhere safe, while his body repairs itself. But whether his mind will ever recover...hope, my dear, is the only weapon you have against his illness."
Madam Pompfrey shuffled off to attend to the few others who'd been harmed, and Lily pulled up a chair, sinking into it. She held Harry to her chest tightly. Sirius bit his lip, looking helplessly at James.
"Healers," he said after a while, "Don't trust 'em. He'll be alright, you'll see Lily."
"And if he's not?"
Sirius had no answer to that.
Lily played with the tuft of jet black hair which was soft as the downy feathers found on a newly hatched chicken. Harry, amazingly, was still deeply asleep.
Peter took one look at James, and stood up abruptly. "I need some air," he announced, his eyes flickering between Lily, Sirius and James. "I can't breathe in here." He walked at an unnaturally fast pace to the door, bursting through them and running to the nearest window. He opened it and took gasps. He let out a choked sound. "Damn," he muttered. "So stupid."
"That you are," said a low, dangerous voice. Peter spun around, his eyes widening in fear. Severus Snape stood calmly opposite him. Peter scrambled in his pockets and pointed his wand at the Slytherin.
"Don't you- I swear, I can fight it now-"
"You can't and you know it," Snape said coldly. "I was distracted, that was the only reason the Imperious curse weakened enough for you to fight it- even still, I've been told it almost drove you into insanity." Snape smiled cruelly. "But if you think the only purpose was to get... that child, then you are mistaken."
Peter's eyes grew wide, and he could feel the window sill digging into his back. There was nowhere to run. No escape.
He'd nearly killed a child. What would happen this time?
"Wait!" He cried. "Just wait!" Snape paused, but Peter knew he didn't have much time. "Take me, I'll do anything, bend me to your will, I know you will anyway, but listen to me first. I am coming to you willingly."
Peter gulped. He'd always been the weak one, the stupid one, the coward. But this time he would be brave. He was never going to be forced into anything.
And he knew it would hurt. Nobody would ever understand why. But Peter Pettigrew was not going to be forced to do the Dark Lord's bidding without his consent.
He'd go into the snake pit and even become a snake himself, but no one was going to push him.
Peter Pettigrew was going of his own free will.
As Snape lifted his wand, Peter finally knew what it was to be a Gryffindor, to do something stupid and reckless but hopelessly brave.
He prayed then that someday he'd get control of himself again, and when the time came, he'd do everything in his power to help bring the Dark Lord down.
Because despite what they said, Peter was loyal to his friends and brave to his very bones.
It was just in a different way to everyone else.
Minerva McGonagall tore up the halls of Hogwarts, and came to the entrance to the Headmaster's office. Storming up and rapping loudly on the door, she didn't wait for an answer before she flew in, her eyes blazing.
The Headmaster sat serenely behind his desk, quickly snapping a drawer shut as McGonagall stood before him, her chest heaving with pants. "You-" she began, then took a deep breath. "Where-"
"Doing what I could to ensure that this school and its pupils remained safe," Albus Dumbledore said simply, answering her unasked question. At her sound of protest, he raised a hand. "There are other ways of fighting than going into battle Minerva. Not to mention that I found a group of older students trying to sneak out to- ah, join the battle, and not in favour of Hogwarts either."
Minerva had the urge to raise her hand to her mouth, but she held it firmly by her side. "They- they wanted to join Him?"
"It would seem so," the Headmaster replied, in a tone all too cheerful for the situation in Minerva's opinion. "But it doesn't matter- as of now, they are scrubbing the corridor outside the kitchens- the house elves can make quite a mess when they're nervous, you know. Papayas everywhere," the Headmaster shook his head in amusement. "I dread to imagine what the poor things would have resorted too if it were not for Doot."
McGonagall neither cared nor had the inclination to ask who or what Doot was, and placed her hands on the desk fiercely. "And what, pray tell, did you do to ensure that Hogwarts was safe while the head boy nearly got killed?"
Dumbledore's head jerked in surprise. "Nearly? That's good."
McGonagall narrowed her eyes. "Good? Excuse me, I hardly think that having James Potter, prize student and Chaser in the Hospital Wing on the verge of no return is good!"
"Well, he's not dead, is he?" Dumbledore said reasonably. "If he was, I'd be terribly worried- yes, poor James."
"About time," muttered McGonagall under her breath.
"I mean, it would complicate things terribly for Lily Evans- who'd help her to take care of all aspects of little Harry's life?"
McGonagall's head sprung up sharply in confusion. Dumbledore smiled secretively, reached across the desk and patted her hands as an old lady would a little boy. "Don't worry, all will become clear in time." He stood up. "Well, you best show me the damage Professor. The boy's got a nice young face- terrible if he ruined it and all."
McGonagall watched the Headmaster carefully out f the corner of her eye as they made their way to the hospital wing, wondering if the Headmaster had finally cracked.
"You won't be walking much on that leg," Lily heard Madame Pompfrey say to one of her patients. "That was a very nasty curse."
Sounds drifted into Lily's ears like leaves in a breeze, barely registering in her muddled up brain. She knew that Remus Lupin had moved from his bed (she wasn't quite sure whether it was on the Matron's orders or not) to sit around James with his friends. Sirius had his head lowered so that his hair flopped about his head, and Peter was looking at James with a very green expression. Harry slept on.
"How is he?" said a voice behind her.
Lily leapt up, completely airborne for moment. "Professor!" she nearly shouted. "Oh, Professor Dumbledore-"
"Could I see him?" The Headmaster asked gently- Lily leapt aside, her heart pounding. Surely Dumbledore, the greatest wizard ever, would be able to do something to help James live, to wake him...
"Ah, good, the lucky boy got no scars."
Lily frowned. "Pardon sir? Is that really relevant? It's not as if it matters- all I want is for him to-" she choked, "-to live."
Dumbledore looked over his shoulder at her, raising an eyebrow in McGonagall's direction. "Oh, that settles everything then." He stepped back from the bed, and laid a hand on her shoulder. "It's lovely that love can bloom in such - ah - circumstances as we have now."
Lily blushed scarlet from the roots of her flaming hair to her toes. "Sir, I hardly think love is the word- Love is a very powerful-"
Dumbledore merely smiled widely down at her. It was getting on her nerves. She wanted to shake him, wipe his glasses, get him to see how bad everything was, because he seemed to be unaffected by the burning in her chest, and she wanted him to share her pain because then maybe then he would see and stop smiling...
"Lily, are you okay?" Remus asked, and her heart slowed slightly at the sound of Remus's weak voice.
"N-no," she said heavily, sitting down again. "Professor, please, what can I do? I need to help-I have to."
Dumbledore looked up from where he'd been poking the sleeping Harry gently on the nose, placing the baby on the bed. "What has Madame- Pompfrey!" He smiled as the nurse came briskly over. "A diagnosis, perhaps?"
Madame Pompfrey glanced at the small crowd gathered around the bed, and ushered the Headmaster into a corner of the Hospital Wing, whispering frantically. The headmaster's expression grew graver with every agitated expression the woman gave.
Coming back over, he called over his shoulder, "Thankyou my dear, that was most...enlightening." He looked at Lily. "Have you tried talking to him?"
"Pardon?" Sirius asked. "He's unconscious-"
"He can still hear you." Dumbledore said. "A coma, as I'm sure the nurse has explained, is the mind retreating within itself to keep itself safe. Inside James's mind a battle is going on- should he awake or sleep forever? He has no way of seeing why he should wake up. But if you speak to him, you may convince him to awake."
The group of students looked at each other doubtfully. Dumbledore nodded at them. "You best try- good day Miss Evans, Mr Black, Pettigrew and Mr Lupin. Minerva, I think a cup of tea in my office should be an action we should take, don't you?"
Albus Dumbledore swept from the hospital wing.
Gulping, Lily leaned towards the bed and took one of James's deathly cold hands in her own. Everybody was saying there was no chance for James, but if there was something, anything she could do to save him, Lily would do it.
"James," she said, "We miss you- Sirius, Remus, Peter. Even Harry. It's safe, you can come. Oh James, please come back. I-I," she paused to collect her thoughts, feeling increasingly silly with every passing word.
Sirius's hands closed around James's other, and the boy gave Lily an encouraging smile.
"Yeah, Prongs, you're missing out on all those lovely potions the nurse wants to give you! Come on mate..." He glanced at Remus, who shrugged. "Err, I'm sorry about before. Come back, yeah?"
They spoke to James for ages, finding it strangely relieving to talk about their worries for him. Soon though, Madame Pompfrey started to shoo them away.
"Out, I say, you've been here the whole day!"
"But-"
"No Miss Evans, I insist-"
To Lily's surprise, Sirius put a hand on her arms and spoke. "Madame Pompfrey, I think you should let Lily stay." Lily gave him a questioning look, but he wasn't looking at her, his gaze fixed firmly on the nurse. "She- she's got a good affect on James."
Madame Pompfrey dithered for a moment, then conceded. "I guess you can't put the boy in any more danger."
Later, Lily sat next to James's bed, staring out the window at the storm raging outside. Wind howled and rain threw itself angrily against the glass, and the rumbling of thunder and the flash of lightening lit up the room every so often. Harry hadn't woken at all since the battle, and was comfortably snuggled up to James. Lily rested her forehead on the glass, which was cold on her skin.
She felt her eyes closing against her will, the day's draining events finally taking its toll on her, and slowly, Lily Evans fell asleep, one hand still entwined with the boy- no, the man, she had learned to care for.
Because that's what school was for. Learning.
It was because she was asleep that Lily didn't see a tiny smile enlighten on James's face, but if she had seen it, she would have wondered why he was smiling. But for now, she was asleep, and the castle was silent, strong, and seemingly unaffected by the raging storm outside.
A/N: I'm late, I'm late, for a very important update. Burn me beside Madame Pompfrey! But if you've been in the Leaky Cauldron Video Galleries recently, you've probably forgotten all about this story too! WHO LOVED THE TEASER? WHO LOVED THE HBO PREVIEW EVEN MORE? If you have no idea what I'm on about, get youself over to www. the-leaky-cauldron .org /videogallery . NOW.
Okay, answer time. For all those Peter haters out there, I'm sorry, but the guy was sorted into Gryffindor, and there had to be a reason for that. If you want to talk on it more, feel free to PM me or just give me a review, I usually answer questions.
Snape, I still have yet to do something with, although I've already given a hint that he's nicer than he seems. Which is scary- a nice Snape.
I have the next chapter fully planned, and I'm praying I won't slack off like I've been doing. Lovely chapter, and I finally get to play with my ghosty-miragey-thingies again. The next chapter will include marshmallows. But it's not happy. Sorry, I've just got to be serious. Siriusly (bad joke, I know).
This chapter was officially the hardest to write. Ever. Getting Lily to cry without looking like a Cho-Chang wannabe is hard, and making Peter (who in my mind, despite all I write him to be, is an utter B&$&t#) brave is just beyond what I'm feeling up to (exams galore- luckily they've ended). Don't get me started on keeping everyone else in character. I'm still not sure if they are.
I've got a three day camp coming up, so I won't be able to write much before Saturday. I've been placed in the top three in my class (yet to find my position, I'll tell you when I find out) so you can be sure I'm not a- what's a nice word for a person who's stupid?
I'm exhuasted, but I hope you like the chapter.
Reviews, hate mail, invitations, plane tickets to your home town and wedding rings are all viewed by the author but do not constitute as a legal binding contract.