Chapter 48-I Need You
"Is that Lily and James?" one voice muttered.
"Oh, it has to be. Is James Head Boy still?" another voice asked.
Sirius turned to look at the entrance to the dance to see his friend, entering in sweats, with Lily Evans. He grinned. Sirius knew the two of them couldn't deny it any longer.
"Look. Our favorite couple's back," Katy muttered, while dancing in the arms of Remus. Halle and Sirius just smiled.
"About time too. I'm getting sick of Prongs moping around," Remus said.
"Me too, me too," Sirius muttered. He watched as the two of them casually danced with one another. They weren't dressed for the occasion, but Sirius knew it didn't matter.
"She's beautiful," Halle said, while watching her friend. Lily's eyes had the old sparkle back into them. She looked happy.
"No. You're beautiful. You do realize this is our first dance ever as a couple," Sirius said, grinning.
"Yes, I do. It's also our last at Hogwarts," Halle said.
"You guys are so depressing," Katy said, rolling her blue eyes and laughing.
The song ended and the couples moved towards the punch bowl. Lily and James were hand in hand and looking at each other with deep admiration.
"Those two really do go up and down a lot," Katy said.
"It's love/hate darling," Remus said, shaking his head. "It works for them."
Halle averted her eyes towards Katy, catching the blonde girl's eye and motioned towards Lily.
"Girl talk," Katy said simply.
"Bye honey," Halle said, kissing Sirius on the nose. As she walked away he touched the spot fondly.
"I love her, Moony," Sirius said.
"I know you do, Padfoot," Remus said.
"Do you think Prongs wants to talk?" Sirius asked.
"No. He's too busy thinking of Lily. You know he can't be comprehended when his mind is on that girl.
He's very incoherent," Remus said, grinning. Sirius nodded in understanding.
"James, is it ok if I go and talk to Halle and Katy for a little while?" Lily asked.
"Of course. I'll go get some fresh air," James said, putting his hands in the pockets of his
jeans.
It was cold outside, but the snow had melted earlier. The lake was frozen over and a cool mist was flowing gently above it. James was glad he had worn a sweatshirt instead of uncomfortable dress robes. He was much warmer this way.
He had Lily back. That was all that mattered. She was his inspiration. He couldn't wait to spend his life with her. He just wished his parents were still alive to see him and meet Lily. They had never gotten that chance.
He heard giggling in nearby bushes and he grinned. Some things never changed. He had left his wand back in the dorm so a Heating Charm was out of the question. He knew Lily would want to fill in her best friends with all the details. This could take awhile. Girls could talk for hours. But, he could wait for Lily. He could wait years. He had, in fact, waited for so long that waiting just seemed like an ordinary part of the process.
He saw footsteps emerging from a distance.
Who was walking around alone tonight?
He saw the face of Frank Longbottom come into focus.
"Frank! What are you doing here?" James asked, surprised. James hadn't seen Frank since last year. He had graduated and gone off to become an Auror.
"Dumbledore invited me to go and check out some things in the forest while everyone was at the dance. Sure way of not getting interrupted. Well, you're the exception on that one. But, you're the one I was looking for anyways. I think there's something you should see, James," Frank said, a look of concern on his face.
"Why? What happened?" James asked, hoping Lily was still ok.
"It's about your parents. We may have found their bodies," Frank said.
"But didn't you already find their bodies, Frank?" James asked.
"We never found their bodies. We saw the blood and we saw where they had been dragged out. But, no bodies were found," Frank said. He was pacing nervously.
"But Dumbledore would have sent people searching for them. Fudge definitely would have. If there was no bodies there was no proof that there was a murder. They could have still been alive," James said.
"You're a smart one, Potter. Too smart for your own good," Frank said, his voice becoming hard and cold. A combination in which sent chills up James's spine. He stood his ground though.
"What do you mean by that, Frank?" James asked, knowing that this was not the real Frank Longbottom.
"I mean, that brain of yours is going to get you in some deep trouble some day," Frank said.
"Are you implying that, that day be today?" James asked, knowing the answer. He was ready to run.
What he was not ready for was the transformation from Frank Longbottom to Lucius Malfoy.
Malfoy smiled. "Surprise."
Before James could move invisible ropes were tied around him, restraining any movement. He concentrated and transformed into his Animagus form, thinking of Lily. He couldn't die yet, she needed him.
He felt the ropes restraining him as a stag, but found the will to escape greater. He pulled the ropes and felt them
loosen. He felt the hold slip away. And he ran. He ran straight, as far as he could go. What he didn't expect was
Malfoy to come riding up next to him on that great black crow of his. Then, James Potter was captured once
again.
"Isn't he wonderful?" Lily asked, looking at her friends.
"That is so great, Lils," Katy said, smiling. Her friend was glowing, bursting with joy.
"What are you doing?" Halle asked. Lily just stopped daydreaming and looked at her curiously for a moment.
"What do you mean?" Lily asked.
"I mean, what are you doing? Go get him! This should be your night to spend with him," Halle said, pushing Lily along. Lily blushed and waved goodbye to her friends.
She hurried down the hall to go get James. She wanted to just feel his arms around her once more. She exited onto the grounds and saw a sight that made her want to vomit. She whimpered and felt arms restrain her.
She saw a stag running away from this hideous black crow. And then, they stunned the animal. It didn't get completely stunned but it was lying on the ground, kicking it's legs a bit. She knew that the stag was James. She screamed for him as she saw the foot of a man collide with the stag.
"James!" she screamed.
"No, it's alright Lils. They won't get away with it," Sirius Black said.
"No, James! I need you!!" she screamed into the night.
A/N: Ah, I know, she's so dramatic. Remember, I wrote this two years ago and it was my first fan fic. It's pretty awful and needs lots of revision (that I have no time for right now)