A/N: Thanks to all the fabulous people who reviewed the last chapter!
Chapter 4: Threats and Heroes
"Is everybody going crazy?
Is anybody gonna save me?
Can anybody tell me what's going on?
Tell me what's going on?
If you open your eyes
You'll see that something, something is wrong."
- "Crazy" by Simple Plan
Friday, September 12th, 1979
Lily smiled as Amos led her to a an empty side of the lake, his hand in hers. They sat down, and Amos wrapped his arm around her waist. They had a perfect view of Hogwarts. They faced each other. Amos leaned in to kiss Lily, and she let him. She was so happy.
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"SIRIUS! I HAVE TO GO!" Sarah yelled at him for the millionth time.
"Why? Do you have a date? No, you don't. Now sit down and listen for once," he scolded her like a child. Something was happening to Lily. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amos broke the kiss. "I'm sorry Lily, but I don't need you anymore," he told her quietly.
"What?" Lily asked. What is he talking about? He doesn't need me?
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Anger welled up inside of Sarah. She crossed her arms over her chest and refused to sit down on Sirius' bed where he was looking at some piece of parchment. "Sarah, stop acting so spoiled. You have to help me," Sirius told her.
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"I thought I did. But I don't. There are other ways."
What the hell is he talking about? Other ways? Lily started to panic, he was really starting to scare her. His
eyes held a glint that she had never seen before. He stood up, towering above her. Lily quickly scrambled to her feet,
and stumbled backwards. She lost her footing and fell on her side.
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Sarah snapped.
"I have to help YOU!? You LOCKED me in here! You're planning some stupid PRANK while SOMETHING is happening to LILY! My BEST FRIEND!!" Sarah whacked him on the arm. "You" -whack- "won't let me" -whack- "out" -hit- "when something" -kick- "BAD" -punch- "is happening" -whack- "to LILY!" -slap-. Sarah paused to catch her breath and Sirius leapt off of his bed and seized her wrists so she couldn't hit him anymore.
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"Come on Lily. Get up," he told her.
Lily was scared. She couldn't move. She turned towards the woods, and thought she saw something move. Amos roughly pulled her up onto her feet. She gathered all her courage and punched him in his face. He flinched, but her hand hurt more than his face did.
Damn! Ow, ow ow… stupid, stupid, stupid. Help!
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"LET ME GO!" Sarah cried out and tried to wriggle out of Sirius' grasp. He tightened his grip. "Sirius, please let me go. I have to go help Lily!"
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He pulled out his wand and muttered a charm that held Lily above the ground. Lily reached for her wand, but it wasn't there. Damn! It must've fallen out on the grass! Amos looked around and saw the lake. Oh no! Not the lake! Amos knows perfectly well that I can't swim! I told him! I shouldn't have… Amos moved his wand so that it pointed over the lake, and Lily went with it. She looked past Amos, into the woods, and she was certain that she saw someone there, but her mouth wouldn't move to call for help. Lily stopped moving, and looked down. She could see the inky black water just past her feet. Her heart froze. I'm going to die, Lily thought sadly looking at the water shifting beneath her.
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"Please! Sirius!" Sarah begged him. He just looked at her like a sad puppy.
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"Put her down!" a voice said. Lily looked up and found none other than James standing with his wand pointing at Amos, although James was standing to her right. The movement from the woods was on the left, behind Amos. I think.
Amos grinned and let her go. Lily plunged into the icy cold water. It felt like knives were stabbing her.
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"SIRIUS! You wouldn't understand! Something's happening-happened. I have to go. Lily is like my sister and-" Sirius' lips on hers stopped her mid-sentence. Sarah leaned back, away from him, as soon as her meddled mind could make sense of what was happening. "What are you doing!" Sarah yelled in anger. She had had enough of him for a whole month.
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"Crap!" James yelled as he dove into the lake and swam towards Lily.
I'm dying. What about Sarah? And James? Lane? Sirius? Cassidy and Remus? I'll miss them… Lily thought. She could feel herself being sucked down into the murky depths of the lake. She couldn't breathe. Then she felt something grab her arm. It pulled her towards the surface. She gasped for air. Lily heard someone breathing hard, but she kept her eyes shut.
James pulled Lily towards the shore. He could see that Amos had fled. Coward. James thought. He laid Lily on the grass. Good, she still breathing! Lily started coughing, trying to get the water out of her lungs. James quickly found Lily's wand in the grass and took her in his arms. Lily opened her eyes.
"James," she said weakly.
"Sh...it's ok," he tried to comfort her. Silent tears ran down her cheeks and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her into the school.
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She stomped on his foot, and he immediately let go of her wrists. Sarah stormed to the door. "UNLOCK IT!" she demanded.
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"James?" Lily whispered in his ear.
"Yeah?"
"Take me to my room," she begged and passed out. James turned back and went to the Heads' room. He laid Lily on her bed.
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Sirius muttered something, and Sarah was able to open the door, which she did, and ran down the boys' staircase. Sarah found Lily's mind, but it wasn't clear. Lily was sleeping, and dreaming of something cold and dark. Not helping! Oh Merlin, where's Lily? … JAMES! James has to know! James was thinking about Lily (as usual). And he couldn't make up his mind whether he should get her or Sirius, or if he should stay and make sure Lily was ok and didn't wake up alone. Sarah ran up the boys' staircase and swung open the door to the 7th year boys' dorm.
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James brushed Lily's red hair out of her face and kissed her lightly on her forehead. He sat down in a chair close to her bed and cradled his head in his hands, trying to comprehend what almost happened to Lily. Lily can't swim.
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"Oi! Let's go you bloody fucking tart!" Sarah said angrily and ran down the staircase again. She made her way to the Heads' room as quickly as she could and barreled into Lily's room with Sirius right behind her.
James lifted his head from his hands, startled by the sudden appearance of Sarah and Sirius.
"What happened?" Sarah asked.
James opened his mouth to reply when Sarah interrupted him, "Wait. I don't want to know. Lily'll tell me. Although I would have been there if someone-" she glared at Sirius "-hadn't decided to hold me captive. Now go. She'll be fine," Sarah told James.
"But-" James started to protest.
"-Fine," Sarah interrupted him again, "you can stay." Sarah saw that James had good intentions, and she was happy. She turned to Sirius, whom she was still upset with. "You don't have to be here." He shrugged, but didn't leave.
"Should we take her to Madame Promfry? Do you think she'll be okay?" Sarah asked James fearfully.
"She wanted to come here. She'll be fine," James told her. Sarah nodded and moved towards Lily. She had a cut on the side of her face and on her one hand that was on her pillow. Sarah healed them. She conjured a bed for herself on one side of Lily's bed. There was no way she was going to leave Lily alone. James followed suit and placed his on the other side of Lily's bed. Sirius conjured a bed too, but placed his next to Sarah's and not next to James'. Sarah didn't say anything. She crawled into her bed and shut her eyes.
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Sarah's bed creaked and someone climbed in beside her. Sarah woke up and turned to find Sirius right beside her. "What are you doing?" she whispered to him in the dark.
"Nothing. Why didn't you tell me something this bad happened to Lily? James looks horrible," Sirius asked.
Sarah's mouth dropped open, even though he couldn't see it. "I did tell you," she hissed. "Now go to sleep," Sarah told him. He didn't leave her bed. Sarah couldn't fall back asleep, although she was sure Sirius had. What does Sirius want? What are his intentions? Why me? He was probably just fooling around. I'm thinking too much. She saw James get out of his bed and watched him as he stood over Lily's sleeping form. He pushed a piece of her hair out of her face and pulled the covers around her body. He gazed at her for a few moments before he went back to his bed.
Sarah smiled to one and closed her eyes. She found she could sleep.
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Saturday, September 13th, 1979
Lily awoke with a pounding headache. She sat up and found Sirius and James sleeping in a bed on either side of hers. Why? Sarah was sitting at Lily's vanity brushing her hair, humming. What are they doing here? In my room?
"Lily!" Sarah exclaimed happily, relieved that her best friend was awake. "Are you ok? Are you hurt? What happened last night??"
Last night…Amos…the lake…drowning…James? "How did I get out of the lake?" Lily asked Sarah.
"James. I was being held hostage," Sarah said sullenly.
"What? How did James know? You? Who held you hostage?"
"I had a feeling. So I told him to go find you. And Sirius would not let me go! He was going on and on about something…I'm really sorry Lily. It wasn't until I beat him that he let me go!"
"You beat him?"
Sarah bit her lip. "Well, not really. Just whacked him 'round the head a bit…he wouldn't listen! And something horrible was happening to you!"
"It's ok Sarah. I'm fine, really."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I've just got a headache," Lily told her.
"Oh!" Sarah said brightly. "I can fix that," she said as she pulled out her wand and pointed it at Lily's head.
Lily shrunk back. It's not that she didn't trust Sarah…
"Cabe dufine," Sarah said and Lily's headache vanished.
Lily relaxed. "Thanks."
"Anytime. Are you hungry? Do you feel ok to go down to the Great Hall?" Sarah asked anxiously.
"Lily, you're awake," James said when he awoke and placed his glasses on his face.
"Erm…yes," Lily said.
"I'll be back," James said heading to the bathroom and heading into his room.
"I always wanted to wake up to find to lovely ladies waiting for me," Sirius said as he climbed out of bed.
"I'm sure…" Sarah muttered. "Go away Sirius," Sarah told him.
"Anything for you, Sarah," he said as his exited Lily's room for James'.
"Looks like someone has a crush," Lily said.
"What? Who?" Sarah asked.
"Sirius. On you," Lily said.
"Yeah right. Gag me. So…what happened last night?" Sarah asked tentatively.
"Well-don't tell anyone ok?-Amos and I were just walking and talking. Then we stopped by the lake and he kissed me. And then…he was all weird…he said he didn't need me…something about other ways…and I fell, he pulled me up…I punched him…then I was over the lake. And I fell into it. That's all I remember. I really thought I was going to die."
"Guys there's no point eavesdropping. Lily would've told you if you'd asked," Sarah said and the two boys grinned sheepishly as they stepped into Lily's room from the bathroom. Lily looked at James, and his eyes met hers.
"I'm hungry. We're going to go get some food," Sirius said, pulling James out of Lily's room.
Sarah turned to Lily. "I think I know what Amos meant. But not why he did…well, that." Lily looked at her expectantly. "Well I overheard Amos talking to Brian and Katie yesterday. He was bragging about going out with you, and how he was just using you to get back at James. And then Katie yelled at him and told him that it was the stupidest plan she'd ever heard of, which it was. Anyways, he didn't need you anymore. But I don't know what was up with trying to hurt you. I didn't think he'd stoop that low. I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault," Lily told her.
"But it is! I should've gotten to you before Amos did. I'm such a horrible friend. I don't even deserve to live…"
"Shut up Sarah. You got James to come. You did help. Don't worry about it."
"I don't know. There's something about James. He got up at all hours of the night to check on you…"
"What? He did?"
"Yes. It was cute! I wish someone would do that for me…"
"Someday they will, Sarah."
"Maybe. But who? You already have James Potter," Sarah pointed out.
"Sarah, I do not have James Potter," Lily told her.
"Sure. He only went running when I told him you were in trouble," Sarah said sarcastically.
"He's just…um…"
"Madly in love with you?" Sarah suggested.
"No! Just…nice?" Lily said uncertainly.
Sarah laughed. "Who knows. Maybe one day you'll finally give him a chance and go out with him. He really is different, you know."
"But why? Why does everyone insist that I go out with him?" Lily asked.
"Because. James has tried so hard, since like, ever. And you always turn it down. Spice things up a little! Say yes!"
"I don't know Sarah. I don't think so."
"Why?" Sarah whined like a little child.
"Because, he's Potter."
"And a damn sexy one too Lily. You said it yourself. You want to be James' girlfriend. You admitted it. But then you went out with Amos the bastard. So now, do what you should have done a long time ago and say yes to James!"
"How comes it always comes back to this?" Lily asked
"Because there isn't any good gossip right now," Sarah said matter-of-factly. "I'll have to talk to Lia and fix that. And kill Amos while I'm there."
"Sarah, you can't kill him," Lily told her.
"No, but I can try. And if I don't succeed, I'm sure James will."
A/N: Finally! A really good chapter. Well, one with action! Lol. Tell me what you think.