Author's Note: Before you begin this particular chapter keep in mind this is a fan fiction. I try to stick as close to the storyline as possible, but there are a few minor tweaks in this chapter to make it fit the plot of 'Who She Is'. Just letting you know that if there seems to be some inaccuracies towards the end of the chapter, they were on purpose.
Not one of Lily's friends brought up the second argument she had with Regulus Black. James, though, never seemed to be more than a few meters from her. At mealtimes he was only a few seats away, the classes they shared he made an excuse to walk beside her. Whenever he wasn't there Frank or Remus or even Sirius seemed to appear.
It was the next Saturday, Hogsmeade weekend, and Lily took the empty seat next to James. All four of the Marauders seemed especially distracted. Sirius tried extra hard to joke around, Peter seemed nervous and Remus, well Remus seemed exhausted.
"You could have switched shifts," Lily said to Remus as she filled her plate. "I was free last night and I'm pretty sure Ben wouldn't have cared."
"He was helping me with an essay," James supplied.
"Which one?" Lily asked. "The Dark Arts essay was due yesterday."
"That one...you know what I'm talking about," James said with a shrug. "Try the eggs, they are good this morning." He reached for the bowl and placed a heaping spoonful on her plate.
"Thanks," she muttered as she grabbed a piece of toast and poured herself a cup to tea. "Remus are you free to work on the Charms assignment tonight?" She blew on the mug and took a sip.
"No…" Remus shook his head. "I'm actually having to go visit my mother, she's dreadfully ill." He pushed the food around his plate. Lily had never known Remus to be much of a meat-eater, but all he had on his plate was sausage and bacon.
"I hope she'll get better soon." Lily managed a small smile as she quickly consumed the breakfast. Before she went to Hogsmeade she had to stop by the library and pick up a few books for research. "I'll see meet you all the courtyard.
"Where are you going?" James asked, quickly turning around. "I'll go with you."
"I will be fine," she laughed. "I have my wand, besides I have to go to the library, then to the my room."
"Are you sure?"
Lily merely rolled her eyes as she left the Great Hall and made her way to the library to get the book she put on reserve. One was for the Charms assignment and the other for a Potions research. As the librarian checked her out, she thought of something. "Do you have a book about magical maladies?"
"Yes, my dear." The librarian withdrew her wand and Accioed several books. "I find this one the best." She pointed at the thick volume with a warn leather cover. "Most students like this one." It was a thin book with a red linen cover. "But many of the healers consult this one." It was an assuming looking paperback.
"Can I get the first and third?"
The librarian smiled and questioned her about the classes that she required them for. Lily lied through her teeth and gave her a spiel about Potions. Once she grabbed the book she walked hurriedly, no wanting to be late to the Hogsmeade departure.
"Where are you rushing off to?" a familiar voice called out.
"Sev-Snape, I mean Snape," Lily gulped. "I don't want to speak with you."
"Wait." He reached for her hand to pull her back. She spun around and saw his eyes filled with emotion. "I just-"
"What? I'm tired of apologies. All I wanted to know is why you wanted to be my friend if you were repulsed by the thought of me."
"I already told you it was a mistake, when people get angry they say things they don't mean."
"Save it for someone who cares," Lily said.
"Please, just be careful with what you say and who you say it to."
"Are you threatening me?"
"No."
"Voldemort's already killed my parents, what more can he do?"
"He's dangerous, please if you value your life then don't make waves."
"No, I am tired of people telling me what to do and how to do. I'm not stupid, I know there are consequences. I finally stood up to my sister, now I'm disowned. Tell your Death-Eater friends that." Lily pulled her hand away from him. "I used to admire you, you know that? You always seemed so different, so kind...Now, you worship Tom Riddle." She spat out the evil man's muggle name and it made Severus stiffen. "All he is is a man that needs his head examined!"
"I can see why Black hit you…"
"You're just like him. I always thought you were different, but you're just like your muggle father with your mother's magical blood."
Severus' hands balled up. "I was doing you a favor, warning you, but you won't get through your thick head that you're in danger." He laughed a harsh, humorless laugh. "He's rubbed off on you, you know that? The two of you deserve each other, arrogant toerag," he threw her usual insult for James back at her. "And the ignorant muggle born."
Lily wanted to hex him, or at the very least throw another insult at him, but she heard footsteps behind them.
"He's here, better go running to your Gryffindor Hero." Severus turned around and Lily had to resist the urge to run after him. Even though she was both furious and hurt by the end of their friendship, and the events that transpired between them, she knew that deep down there was the boy that showed her wonder of magic. Lily knew she could chisel away at the hard exterior, but how long would that take?
"Are you alright?" It was James. She huffed, feeling both touched and angered by him following her.
"I think so," Lily whispered. At one point in time she loved Severus, but he no longer wanted to be that boy. It was ridiculous to think you could replace one person with another, but James had filled the hole Severus had left...Lily didn't know if that was a good or bad...Or if that was why she kept on reaching for James.
"I heard what he said, but I knew he wouldn't hurt you."
"I'm not made of glass," she muttered. "And I don't appreciate that you followed me up here after I told you I would be fine."
"It's part of my charm." He shrugged, then moved to put an arm around her. She sidestepped it. "Merlin, Lily, why do you keep on playing games with me?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Last Saturday," he elaborated. "You've been with me at meals and walking to classes. Can't we just stop the waiting?"
"I need to grab my coat from my room and put the books away before Hogsmeade," she explained. "Go find Sirius and Remus and Peter." She pushed forward leaving him standing alone, and confused as she was.
At the Three Broomsticks Lily let herself relax. Michael was beside her, along with a few if his friends. Frank and Alice even came to sit at the long table in the center of room. They were supposed to go on double-date with Marlene, but apparently the two disappeared after a bit.
Lily let her eyes wander to where the Marauders sat in the corner, hunched over parchment. James looked angry as he was speaking to Sirius, who was leaning against back on his chair, rolling his eyes. Remus was shaking his head and Peter looked frightened.
"Lily!"
"What?" She turned to Michael who called his name.
"Do you want to leave?" He lifted his chin in the direction of the door where a group of Slytherins were walking in, Regulus among them.
"No." She shrugged her shoulders and took a drink of her Butterbeer. They didn't seem to even notice she was there. "Stop worrying," she told them. As she said this Sirius got to his feet and stormed out of the pub. "What was that about?"
"I'm guessing his brother," Frank said.
"It's my fault," Lily muttered.
"No, it's not!" Alice protested. "You know the Black brothers have never really gotten on."
"Not the argument last Saturday, I...I inadvertently asked James and Sirius to...get back at Regulus."
"What are you talking about?" Michael asked.
"James said that he was going to make sure that no one treated his brother or muggle borns like Regulus treated me." By now everyone at the table was listening to her. "As far as I know nothing's happened."
"Remus," Alice chimed in. "Ever since he's gotten Prefect they're more careful."
"I hope they don't do anything stupid."
The next day Lily went to the owlery to send a letter to Charles and Agatha. They both had been writing letters to James and asking about her, as she was too busy to take the time out of her day to do that.
After writing the letter she stuck it into an envelope and used James owl to send it to them. Leaving she walked slowly and as she opened the door Sirius ran into her. Two identical sheets of parchment folded and sealed with wax fluttered to the ground.
"Damn!" he shouted and looked between the two of them. "Which is which?"
"I don't know," Lily said. "Aren't they the same?"
"No!" he yelled. "I'll have to hope that I get it right, it's too late to redo them."
At dinner that night a plain brown owl dropped letters on Regulus' and Severus' plates. Being at the opposite ends of the table they didn't notice the other got one.
Severus Snape broke the seal and read the letter, Want to find out where Lupin disappears at every month? Come to the Whomping Willow, there's a button that will freeze it, follow the passage.
Regulus Black opened his letter, puzzled by what he found. What happens tonight will only happen again if you are not careful.
It was nearly curfew when Lily was heading back to her dorm. As she made her way from the Library to Gryffindor tower Diggory stopped her. "Do you mind taking a shift tonight? One of the Ravenclaw prefects is sick and Dumbledore says that we're supposed to up the numbers."
"It's not problem," she replied with a shrug. "If I find Ben or Frank, I'll have one of them go with me."
"No, you'll be with David Goldstein. Take your stuff up to the Common room and meet him on the first floor."
"The first floor?" she questioned.
"People have been trying to sneak outside to go to the lake," he explained. "Is that alright? I can switch with you or ask Frank…"
"I can handle it."
"Good, meet him outside in the courtyard."
Lily passed him a smile as she hurried to the Gryffindor tower. She barely managed to greet, then say goodbye to her roommates, tossing her satchel on the bed and grabbing her winter cloak, securing the silver fastenings. As she raced out, she was surprised that she wasn't stopped by one of the boys. James was surprisingly absent from the common room, in fact all of his friends were.
Shaking her head she left the Common Room and began to walk down the corridor. It had gotten dark surprisingly fast, the full moon was high in the sky, the light reflected on the suits of armor lined up against the wall. She opened the door and walked on the covered sidewalk, that was when she heard shouting.
Running in the direction of it she found herself being led towards the Whomping Willow. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the outline of two boys. "Get out of here!" It was James. Even in the dark and at a distance, she could tell he escaped a fight with a torn shirt, missing glasses and hair even more disheveled than usual.
"He...he…" A voice stammered. Snape.
"You should have let him meet his fate," another boy spat out. Sirius.
She froze. Lily knew she should approach them, take away points, assign them detention and escort them to the hospital wing.
"Go to Moony," James ordered. "Wormtail needs help."
Moony? Her mind flashed back to the day when Remus came, how they shouted that name when they saw him.
"Lily." She jumped when David came up beside her. A beater on the Quidditch team he was broad-shouldered and tall. "We need to."
"No." Her hand went to his arm. In the distance they heard a mournful howl.
"Now." David said. He easily broke her grip as he ran towards the group.
"Get out!" James shouted when he saw David approaching. "Godric Gryffindor please…"
That was when Lily ran to them to, getting ready to launch into her standard speech. James' eyes just widened and Snape looked at her. She saw bruises beginning to form on him, a nasty scratch most likely from the Willow that was unusually still. "Goldstein, get him to the Hospital Wing."
"I'm not supposed to leave you, Evans,"
"He's bleeding, go." The tone of her voice left no option. Snape willingly followed the sixth-year Ravenclaw, knowing that there was not any other options. "James…"
"Get out, now!" he yelled, stepping forward.
"Tell me what happened…" Another howl, this one was closer.
"Listen to me for once. Please." He looked desperate, but she couldn't bring herself to move. When she didn't even say anything, James took another step forward shoving her once. As she opened her mouth to retaliate, he shoved her again, the force so hard it pushed her back and sent her to ground.
From her position she saw him running away and got to her feet. "Potter!" He didn't turn around. Filthy, confused and with an aching body she got to her feet and turned around, only thinking of the consequences she would make James face for this.