Be Here Now

Disclaimer: Ah… I own Harry Potter… *wakes up* DARN IT!

A/N: I continue to be very happy, even after the downpour of tests my teachers have been raining down on me. I didn't study though… oops. I wrote this instead. Let's just hope I did well so I can CONTINUE writing this. Thank you, thank you, thank you for reviewing!

Potterhead4eva: No problem, it's really the least I could do. :) Thank you for reviewing positively!

OliWest: Thank you! Meant to please. Lol. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU. I'm glad someone is excited about my story! Thank you. I'm like a broken record ha-ha. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

And without further ado… CHAPTER SIX!

x.o.x.o.x.

Sirius and Remus burst through the hospital wing doors just in time to see…

Lily thrashing violently about in her hospital bed. The two boys automatically drop their book bags and race to the redhead's side.

"Mr. Black! Mr. Lupin! Get out! This requires complete concentration and that will not be possible with you here!" Madam Pomfrey yells over Lily's agonized screams.

Sirius looks helplessly at the thrashing and screaming Lily. "But, Madam Pomfrey-" he protests weakly.

"Out!" orders Madam Pomfrey.

But before Sirius and Remus can fully exit the wing, Lily bolts upright.

"LILY!" Sirius and Remus yell together, rushing forward to embrace her tightly.

Lily smiles weakly at them. "It would have seemed that I went through labor or something; that really hurt."

Madam Pomfrey looks at her sympathetically. "It was good of you to sign the papers beforehand, Miss Evans, or you may not have been here to witness this conversation. As for the labor comparison, that was a load more painful than giving birth, so if you ever do, you won't feel as agonized."

Lily smiles at the kind matron. "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. It was kind of you to take the risk." She glances around. "Where are Hilary, Alice, and Marlene?"

As if on cue, the three young witches burst into the wing, breathless. They gape at the breathing but still pale redhead perched fragilely on the bed, and then burst out, "LILY!"

x.o.x.o.x.

Days later, Lily Evans is released from the hospital wing and is walking with a new air. The latest attack at gotten her stronger and prepared her for anything…

She stops. James is standing there, curiously studying a nearby portrait. Upon a closer look, Lily smiles. It is of one of the greatest Quidditch players to pass through Hogwarts, Daniel Cadre. She coughs lightly.

James whips around. His hazel eyes narrow the moment they fall upon Lily's emerald ones. "You," he says curtly.

Lily inclines her head. "Me."

"So you're out," he sneers.

"Apparently," Lily replies coldly.

James turns to go.

Lily reaches out and touches his elbow lightly. "James-"

"Only my friends are allowed to call me James," James replies sharply, jerking away from her.

Lily looks surprised. "I was about to suggest a friendship," she says icily.

"I wasn't going to wait around forever, Evans," James retorts frostily, and walks away.

Lily stares after him, unaware of someone lurking in the shadows.

The young man in the shadows watches in horror as the love of his life starts falling for his mortal enemy. Oh, Potter will pay for this, he thinks menacingly. I will do anything to get my Lily, anything.

x.o.x.o.x.

"Have you brought the boy?"

Lucius Malfoy bows low to his master. "Yes, Master. Peter Pettigrew, my Lord," he says softly, prodding the trembling boy forward.

Voldemort's cruel red eyes bore into the watery ones of the supposedly loyal Peter Pettigrew. "Very good, Malfoy, very good. Now, my good boy, how would you like power to be put in your hands?"

"M-More than a-anything, m-my Lord," Peter stammers.

Voldemort smiles in satisfaction. "Excellent," he hisses. "Come here, little Pettigrew."

Peter steps hesitantly forward.

Voldemort twirls his wand and a scream of agony later; Peter Pettigrew bears the Dark Mark and has officially betrayed the Marauders, Hogwarts, and basically the whole Wizarding world. That night, there is one very happy Dark Lord.

x.o.x.o.x.

Perched in a velvet armchair in front of the fire is a young woman with beautiful tresses of auburn hair. The firelight throws light upon her and the sleeping baby she holds in her arms.

POP

The woman's back turns stiff; she tenses, holding the sleeping child closer to her.

"How are you this fine evening, my loveliest petal?" a deep male voice utters from behind her.

The woman visibly relaxes both her stature and the grip on the child. "Don't scare me like that!" she scolds playfully.

"My apologies, Miss Petal." Before he can go on, the door is blasted open. "Go! Take Harry and run!"

"But-" Her husband held no wand.

"Go! Run with Harry!"

The woman races up the back steps, clutching her precious baby. A moment after she lays him safely in his crib, an explosion sounds from downstairs and a flash of green light races around the house. Her beautiful face streak with tears; her one and only true love is gone forever. Now all she had left was her precious son. She whirls around, staring straight into the snakelike face of Lord Voldemort.

"Stand aside, silly girl, stand aside," he snarls.

"No! Never! Have mercy, please! Not Harry!" the woman screams.

"Stand aside!"

"No!" the woman shrieks.

"Fine! Avada Kedavra!"

Lily bolts upright in her dorm bed. She had just had the craziest dream, not to mention terrifying! Snatching her wand from her nightstand, she flicks it, lighting several Muggle lamps. For the first time, Lily truly observes her new room.

The walls are a pretty lavender shade with black curlicues near the floor, which is also a light lavender carpet. There is a gigantic walk-in closet, and her bed is a king-size bed with a deep midnight blue canopy, comforter, and pillowcases. Lily smiles. Dumbledore had left much space for her to decorate herself. She wanders downstairs and freezes.

The Head Boy and Maya are on the couch, shagging relentlessly. Silently, Lily exits the room and finds McGonagall.

"Miss Evans! What are you doing up at this ungodly hour?" McGonagall asks, surprised.

"There is quite the spectacle in the Head Common Room, Professor, and I wasn't entirely sure on how to deal with it."

"Really?"

"Yes, Professor," replies Lily. "Come along, please."

They reenter the Head Common Room, where Maya and the Head Boy are still going at it.

"Mr. Potter! Miss Santiago!" screams McGonagall hysterically.

The two glance up, seemingly oblivious. Then, realizing, they jump apart hastily.

McGonagall is livid. "Rendezvous in the Head Common Room! This is highly inacceptable! A hundred points each from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, as well as three months of detention, alternating between Mr. Filch and myself! Go now, Miss Santiago, and be certain that Professor Dumbledore will be hearing about this!"

Maya, sending a scorching glare at Lily, scurries out.

McGonagall turns on James. "Mr. Potter, I am immensely disappointed in you. In your sixth year, you changed dramatically for the better. Have you gone back to your original ways?"

"If by 'original ways' you mean laying my hands on every chick I can, yes," smirks James arrogantly.

McGonagall looks disgustedly at her 'favorite student'. "Goodnight, Mr. Potter. Goodnight, Miss Evans."

Once she is gone, James rounds on Lily. "Did poor wittle Wiwy's virgin eyes burn at the sight of the almighty James shagging his girlfriend?"

Lily levels James with a burning glare. "For your information, Potter, I am not a virgin."

"Did Miss Perfect Prefect get corrupted?" James asks nastily.

Lily falters for a second.

James cackles. "And is too afraid to spill the beans?"

"I was raped," snaps Lily, turning away.

x.o.x.o.x.

Over the next month, James became less nasty, but his relationship with Maya didn't falter. Lily's health was recovered partially, but not entirely. At times, she was overcome by powerful migraines and stomachaches, but she became the old Lily again. James gradually became a Marauder again, though Remus constantly declined his offers to go out on their full moon excursions. One night, James is alone in the Head Common Room for once at one in the morning. Lily, suspiciously, wasn't in the Head Dorms. Just as James starts to get really suspicious, Lily stumbles in, a gash on her arm.

"Where were you?" James exclaims, jumping up to get a good look at Lily's gash.

"Places," Lily answers vaguely, waving her wand to stem the blood flow and shook her robe sleeve over her wrist.

"You were somewhere, and someone hurt you. Who was it?" James demands.

"No one. I fell on a trick stair," Lily lies easily, moving to sit across from James's former seat.

"Lily…"

A/N: And there's chapter six. Again, I'd appreciate one new reviewer before I continue… let me know by reviewing if you TRULY love this story. Or even like it. Thanks, and until chapter seven…

~TrueLoveis4ever