seventeen - practical

Lily exhales shakily and tries to stand. She leans back on weak arms and pushes herself up, wincing at the twinges in her side as she twists upwards. Help mews past her frozen lips and she stumbles, pitching forward dangerously.

Collapsing on the ground, she coughs, whispering, "Expecto Patronum." The silver doe flickers feebly and dies, reproachful eyes pouring sadness as they glance at Lily.

She adjusts her leg to make herself more comfortable - as much as she can on a gravelly road with a broken ankle.

"Expecto Patronum."

Lily raises her eyes to the sky, heart beginning to thump in her chest. She tries a non-verbal Healing Charm on her ankle, conjuring a splint, and she grits her teeth. She's too weak to Apparate and too tired to send for help, so she's going to have to wait it out.

As she lies on the hard ground she wonders what had gone wrong. The Death Eaters knew exactly where they would be and they were outnumbered from the start and they'd had to fight from the off, Apparating on order when the battle turned out of their favour. Moody wasn't prepared to sacrifice anyone, not now they'd lost so many.

It's a sobering thought.

One word weaves itself through her mind: betrayal.

Sirius' image also springs to mind although she shakes her head to clear it. They were matched; they were partners; and although he's left her she's not exactly tending his every whim right now.

The cold wind blows the little remaining smoke into her eyes and she tugs her jumper closer around her at the chill. Her sight has cleared and she sees a limping figure coming towards her: she grips her wand with what little strength she has left -

"Put it away, Evans."

Relief flutters in her heart but she steadies her voice. "What form is -"

"Put it away," he repeats, reaching her. There's a long gash in his leg but it's not bleeding and before he sits next to her he shrugs off his jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders. "If I was a Death Eater I'd've killed you by now."

Lily snorts, then winces. "You might get your wish."

Sirius frowns. "You might have taken a lot of crucios, Evans," he murmurs, and after a moment of deliberation he puts an arm around her, "but that doesn't give you the right to die on my watch. James'd skin me alive."

She leans into him. They're quiet for a moment before she speaks up, voice rusty. "I mean it."

Sirius shakes his head. "You're not going anywhere. Can you Apparate?"

A murmur: "Doubt it."

He makes a sound of assent and sighs quietly. Sirius rubs her arm to keep her warm and she gasps, face contorting. "What happened?" he asks immediately.

She shakes her head against his chest and he peels his jacket back, revealing a deep wound stretching along her forearm from her wrist to her elbow that's bleeding profusely.

Sirius pulls his wand and conjures a long strip of fabric to wind round her arm.

"Ever practical, you are," Lily shivers, and grits her teeth as the makeshift bandage touches the cut.

He flashes her a grin but it fades when he sees her eyes fluttering shut.

"Evans?" He shakes her gently by the shoulders.

Her eyes flicker open and she gives him a tiny nod.

"Li - Lily, stay with me."

She squeezes his fingers briefly.

Sirius feels her body go limp in his arms.

"Lily?" he whispers. "Shit." Trying not to disturb her too much, he wiggles around, retrieving the mirror from his back pocket. He catches his skin on the edge and it tears a jagged line in his thumb. "Shit. Lily?"

She's unresponsive, and Sirius hisses James' name into the mirror. "Prongs! James Potter, I swear to Merlin, get your ugly -"

"Padfoot! You two were supposed to be back hours ago. Where the hell are you?"

"Still at Crawford's Cross - listen, Prongs, it's Lily -"

James' face vanishes and there's the crack of Apparition resonating over the mirror. Sirius sighs.

"Thank Merlin."