She thought her life was over – but fate gave her another chance, in a world of magic. Now, running around Hogwarts with James Potter and his friends, she's about to make choices that will change the future in ways she never thought possible…

Marauder's Phase

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

Bed-Side Manners

I awoke to hear voices, and they almost made me want to smile.

"She looks a bit peaky…"

"Peaky?"

"Well what do you expect, she fell over a hundred feet."

"Yeah, come on Peter, let's walk you off the Astronomy Tower-"

"And see how you look."

In keeping with tradition, I opened my eyes and murmured: "Probably a right sight better than he usually does."

The faces crowded around me broke into smiles, and they were the faces of the Gryffindor team, the Marauders and the girls in my dorm, except for Serilda.

Sighing, I sat up, and winced at the pain in my ribs. "Why do I keep getting hurt?" I wondered.

"How are you feeling, Emma?" Lily asked me, concerned.

"Oh, brilliant." I told her. "Where's James, is he okay?"

"Yeah," Lily looked sideways. "Well…no. We think he's trying to drown himself in the showers."

I cringed. "I should make sure he's okay…" And I started to get up, but multiple pairs of hands pushed me back down again.

"Madam Pomfrey wants to keep you in here overnight," Remus said quietly, and then handed me a massive shard of chocolate. "She also wants you to eat this, or else." He added, and I took the chocolate from him. He was paler than usual.

"Emmy, what happened up there!?" Sirius suddenly pushed his way to my side, knelt down and took my hands in his. "We saw you fall…but why?" He looked so worried that I nearly cried. This all happened because I wanted to be Seeker so badly. My guilt was mirrored in Lily's eyes.

"Didn't Mark Jotes tell you?" I asked, surprised.

"He said he saw something," Sirius sounded annoyed now. "But he was so busy focusing on getting the snitch, that he didn't see exactly what happened…"

"I assume that it was bludgers?" Remus asked me quietly, carefully touching the left side of my face, making it seem as if he was just making a point. His touch was so gentle and tender that it didn't hurt at all.

"Yes," I whispered. "But I could've dodged them…had I not been dodging a spell."
"What!?" Said about twelve people at once.

Sirius' grip tightened on my hand.

"A gold and silver beam of light shot past me," I said, holding up my right hand. "It burnt right through my glove, it hurt…and then the bludgers came, and…" I shrugged. "How come I'm not dead?"

"Remus saved you." Lily said quietly.

I looked up at Remus. "Aresto Momentum?" I guessed, and he nodded. We exchanged a quick smile, that I hope everyone else missed. Then I froze. "My broom…what happened to it?" If it had blown into the Whomping Willow, then I was going to freak out.

To my immense relief, Lily said: "Someone got it for you, it's over there." She pointed to it, and I looked. I was relieved to see it. I took a bite of chocolate, and it was really nice.

***

Later that night I was lying in the bed in the hospital wing. The others had left – but I had company.

"Hope Madam Pomfrey doesn't see you." I whispered.

Peter, in his rat form, let out a small squeak, and hid underneath the top doona of the bed.

I laughed, and then cringed as my ribs hurt. "Don't worry," I assured him. "If she does see you, then I'll tell her that you're my pet rat, Scabbers."

Peter poked his little pink nose out from under the covers, not entirely convinced.

I looked at him…it would be so easy to kill him now, and then Lily and James wouldn't have to die.

But it would also be painful for me.

It was be a lot less painful to just try and talk him out of it.

I lay on my back, with Peter curled up next to me on the pillow, and realised that I couldn't kill him. It wasn't in my nature to do it – and I would just have to try and change his nature, his cowardly one.

I closed my eyes, wishing for sleep to come, so then my hand, face and chest could all stop hurting.

Sleep…

--

"…come to me…let me kill you…let me rip you apart…let me tear you…let…me…KILL!!"

--

***

No One's P.O.V: - At an unknown location.

"How could he have missed!?" Nott hissed. His eyes were angry, but also fearful – the Dark lord did not tolerate failure.

"I do not know," Lestrange seemed uneasy. "But we must not return to the Dark Lord empty-handed…not like last time…" On his arms were terrible scars, inflicted by a Dark Curse of the same kind. "We must find another way…somehow…"