A/N: Yeah I know. Two chapters in 20 minutes and everyone is just going `woohoo!' I just felt like giving everyone a bit more than usual. Mostly because the beginning is all over and now we're getting to the good stuff. Please remember: the more feedback I get, the better! Thanks everyone!
Chapter 19: Sara Brown
Lily opened her eyes and stretched her arms over her head. Way to sleep
the day away, Lily-girl. She looked over and saw the sleeping James lying next to her.
Lily smiled and agreed with herself. This was definitely a good way to spend the day.
Lily looked out the window and saw a cloud of birds emerge from the midst of the
Forbidden Forest. There's so many. . . Something nagged at
the back of her mind and she sat up, intending to walk over to the window for a better look. Bad idea. The second she
sat up, her bruised ribs hollered at her and she hissed in pain, grabbing her side.
James must have psychic abilities she decided, for he was awake in an
instant.
"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked very
quickly. Lily smiled and took his arm as he helped her sit back against the headboard.
"Nothing. I just sat up to fast, that's all," she said while trying
very hard not to wince. She looked out the window again. Birds were circling everywhere.
"James, do you see..." She gestured out the window. James gave the birds an
unconcerned glance and turned back to her.
"They're just
birds, Lil." The use of her nickname made her smile. James gave a small sigh of relief.
"That's my girl," he said happily. Their smiles faltered momentarily as
a chill swept the room, but it was gone in seconds.
"I still
can't believe you're here," Lily said shyly. Her hands fiddled with a loose thread on the coverlet.
"I thought that after everything that happened before, you'd never----I mean, you wouldn't want---"
Lily stopped, unsure how to finish.
James cupped her chin and
tilted her face towards his. "I love you."
Lily felt she
would burst from the happiness. "I love you too." She leaned into him and tasted his lips.
James felt dizzy. It was that wonderful kind of dizzy, the sort where as a child you
would put your arms out and spin and spin and spin until you fell over laughing. The difference was that with Lily, he
knew he would never fall.
*******************************
Sirius ran and ran, not knowing or caring where he was going. All he saw in front of his
eyes was that horrible vision on the dais. . .
He burst through a
line of trees and there it was! Hogwarts! The castle had never seemed more beautiful than it did right this second.
Sirius swore he heard strains of the Hallelujah Chorus drifting down from the heavens and very nearly started singing
along.
He bolted for Dumbledore's office. He knew the way there
by heart. How many times had he and James been sent up there before detention? Sirius knew Dumbledore could fix
anything. He just didn't know if Dumbledore could fix this.
He reached the stone gargoyle that led to Dumbledore's office. He then
realized he didn't know the stinking password! He gave it a couple of halfhearted shoves but it naturally
didn't do anything.
"I don't suppose if I just said
please, you'd budge over, would you?" he asked. The gargoyle sprang up and jumped to the side, revealing the
spiral staircase. Sirius blinked in complete surprise.
"Bitchin'." He made to go up the staircase but Dumbledore appeared in the entryway before he
could.
"Cool. Delivery service," Sirius said
hysterically. Dumbledore took in his ragged appearance and grabbed Sirius' arm.
"Where is she," the headmaster asked in a cool voice. Sirius looked up into the wizened old
face and felt a sense of relief wash over him. He knew.
"I-in the forest," Sirius blurted. "There was a clearing, with stones. . . S-Sara. . ." Sirius was unable to finish.
Dumbledore gave Sirius a sharp glance. "Who else was there besides Miss
Brown?"
"No one." Sirius looked at Dumbledore in
surprise.
"Could you tell what
happened?"
"No," Sirius said. "There was too much blood. . ." Too his surprise, he found tears stinging his
eyes.
"So Sara Brown is dead then." It wasn't a
question. Sirius nodded anyway and felt his throat choke up. How on earth was he going to tell Lily?
"Wait for me in my office, Sirius," Dumbledore said quietly. He guided
Sirius toward the moving spiral staircase. They heard a shuffle and both heads whipped around to see a scrawny figure
scurrying away from them.
"Who-" Sirius started to ask
but Dumbledore cut him off sharply.
"Upstairs Sirius.
Now.'' Dumbledore swept off in the direction the figure had gone, apparently following the damp trail of water
said figure had left behind.
Sirius gazed at the retreating
Headmaster's back for a long moment, then wearily stepped onto the stone steps and let the staircase take him
slowly upward.
***********
The raven watched as Dumbledore walked slowly into the clearing, staring at the circle of stones
that was once again covered in birds. He waved his hand and instantly the other birds flew back and rested in the
trees, watching. The raven's eyes followed him, calculating, and waiting. He walked slowly toward the ring of
stones, and the dais where Sara Brown lay.
Sirius had been right,
there was blood everywhere. Much of it had come from the birds pecking at Sara's body, but she had been dead long
before their arrival. The bits of skin he could see were pale with tints of blue to match her cold lips. Her eyes were
open, glazed over and seeing nothing. The look on her face brought tears to Dumbledore's eyes.
The raven watched as Dumbledore removed his cloak and wrapped it around the
girl's naked corpse. The thin old man had surprising strength; he actually lifted the body and left the clearing,
carrying her.
The raven spread his wings and flew quickly
overhead. He swept into an open window -the hospital wing- and landed high in the rafters, unnoticed. He observed the
scene below him, the couple kissing. How sweet. But look closer. . . the girl was the redhead his master coveted so.
The raven's dark eyes glittered. He knew Dumbledore was bringing the other
girl here. Now was not the time for his master to approach the girl. Tonight, maybe, when the world
would sleep. Yes, night was always better for such things. Meanwhile, the raven would wait. . . and watch. . . .
.
*******
Lily broke off the kiss and buried her face in James' shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her
and gently tangled his fingers in her hair.
"This is the
nicest part of fighting," James murmured.
"What are you
talking about?" Lily asked.
"Make-up sex," he
grinned.
"Oh you!" Lily gave him a half-hearted swat on
his arms, which James milked to the extreme by clutching his arm and collapsing on the bed. Lily rolled her eyes and
bit her cheeks to keep from laughing. James rolled around on mock pain for a few moments, the opened one eyes to sneak
a peak at Lily.
"Nothin, huh?"
"Oh, you poor baby," Lily monotoned. "Here, let me help you. I'll
sit here, you make a fool of yourself, life marches on."
"Isn't it great to have a routine?"
"You're such a half-wit!"
"And you're
just now realizing this?! Lil' I thought you were smarter than that!"
*WHACK* James commenced rolling around again, this time clutching his
other arm.
"Ow! My eye!" he cried. Lily burst out in fits
of giggles.
"Git!" Lily laughed.
James sat up next to her and gave her the sexiest grin she'd ever seen.
"And you love me for it, right babe?" he smirked. Lily pointed a serious finger in his
face.
"Never. Call. Me. Babe." James eyed the finger
warily for a moment, then tried to bite it. Lily jerked her finger back just in time.
"Hey!" Both of them laughing, James pulled her into a bear hug. Lily
nestled her head under his chin as they settled back against the headboard. After a few moments of comfortable silence,
Lily stirred.
"Much as I hate to break the
mood--"
"Uh-oh", James muttered.
"This is serious." Lily pulled away and straightened up, looking James
determinedly in the eye. He realized she had something to talk about and gave her his full
attention.
"Go ahead," he encouraged.
Lily took a deep breath and plunged. "Sirius." James' jaw clenched
slightly, but he merely nodded his head. He didn't say anything, so Lily ventured further.
"If you can forgive me, don't you think you should at least try to forgive
him?" Lily spoke softly, not sure if James would explode or not. James heaved a great sigh.
"Is it that important to you?" he asked.
"It should be important to you," Lily emphasized. "I thought he was practically your
brother." James felt his anger swell again.
"He-"
"Let his emotions get the better of
him," Lily finished. "Something that happens to everyone. That doesn't change his loyalty to
you."
James let her words sink in for a moment. Lily saw his
face soften and leaned in until her forehead rested against his. She ran a hand through his hair and rested it on the
side of his face.
"Talk to him," she whispered. James
brought his hands up and cupped her face. She knew by his eyes that he would try talking to Sirius. Lily felt the last
weight life off her soul.
"Oh, Lil'," he whispered.
Before their lips could meet, the doors of the hospital wing creaked open. The both turned to the horrible sight in the
doorway.
"Sara!" Lily cried. She tried to stand but the
pain returned full strength and she collapsed back into James' arms.
Albus Dumbledore stood in the doorway, Sara in his arms. She was wrapped in a cloak, but one of her
hands had fallen and was bleeding, the blood sprinkling the stone floor below.
"Oh my God," James whispered. Madame Pomfrey had come to the door of her office and stood
with one hand on the door frame to steady herself. The other covered her mouth in horror.
Dumbledore walked to the nearest bed and slowly laid Sara upon it. He took a blanket
from the foot of the bed and draped it across Sara, covering her face. He pulled the curtains around the bed, shutting
Sara from their view.
"No, no, nonononono," Lily sobbed.
James pulled her into his arms and she cried her tears into his shoulder. Dumbledore crossed to them and gently put a
hand on Lily's shoulder. She turned her tear-stained face to the Headmaster's own mournful
one.
"I'm so sorry, Miss Evans," he said softly.
"I know she was your great friend."
"I-I don't
understand," Lily cried. "Sara was such a good person! Who in their right mind would
do-"
"Ah, well, there you have it," Dumbledore said.
"I highly hope that this person, or persons, were not in their right mind. For if they were then I have been sadly
neglect in my duties as Headmaster."
"You don't
actually think a student did this?" James was aghast at the very thought. How could
one of their own- The notion made James shudder.
"I wish I could say," Dumbledore said. "Unfortunately, there are other pressing matters
I must attend to. If you will excuse me, Mr. Black is waiting for me in my office. I must return to him for now."
Dumbledore stood to go.
"Sirius?!" James said sharply.
"What's he got to do with any of this?"
Dumbledore
gave James a very grave look. "He's the one who found Miss Brown."
James stared open mouth at the Headmaster for a moment, then leapt to his feet. "I'm going
with you."
Dumbledore gave James an appraising look, then
nodded. He turned to Madame Pomfrey and spoke in a whisper. "She will need to be. . . examined." Madame
Pomfrey looked ill, but nodded.
Most unfortunately, Lily heard him
and whimpered. She knew what examined meant. James turned to her with a horrified look on his face.
"Lily-girl. . . " Lily swallowed and looked him bravely in the
eye.
"Go," she said firmly. James looked at her a moment,
then kissed her. She clung to him; she didn't want him to go but Sirius needed him now. She pulled
away.
"Go," she said again. She pushed him lightly to get
him going, otherwise she would make sure he never left her side again. James lingered, grasping her hand. She gave him
a wink and nodded toward the door where Dumbledore now waited. James smiled, kissed her hand briefly, then turned and
strode over to Dumbledore. They left together, closing the doors behind them.
Madame Pomfrey pulled back the curtains surrounding Sara. She magiked wheels onto the legs of the
bed.
"If you need anything," she said shakily,
"I'll be in the room at the end of the hall. . ." she couldn't finish the sentence. Lily nodded,
fresh tears running down her face. Madame Pomfrey wheeled the bed down to a small door and disappeared behind it. Lily
heard the small lock click into place. She was alone in the hospital wing now.
Sara! Lily buried her face into her pillow and let the sorrow wash
over her.
*******
The raven watched and timed it perfectly. She was alone now. Master could claim his wish.
He flew from his perch in the rafters and soared out the window. He didn't have to go far. . .