Chapter Sixteen: The Dagger
She stumbled from the room and headed to the first bathroom she came to. She pulled her robes off over her head, standing in shorts and a tee-shirt in the bathroom. She saw Moaning Myrtle watch her as Lily wrung the robe off, a violet-blue liquid dripping from it. Lily coughed hard, nearly coughing up her lung. She ran the robe under the faucet, rinsing the last of the potion that she had allowed to run out of her mouth and on to her robes.
"I wasn't born yesterday," Lily moaned as she slipped to the floor. She rested the back of her head against the cold, stone basin. She waited until the nausea passed, and with the passing of the nausea came the feeling of an old heart break. Lily felt her hot tears slip from her eyes as her heart contracted. She struggled to her feet as she splashed some cold water on her face.
Lily headed to her dorm long enough to change into fresh clothes. She hoped she looked normal as she headed to the greenhouses. She knew she was late, but hoped Professor Sprout wouldn't give her detention. She couldn't stand any more detentions. Professor Sprout looked at her with concern as Lily slipped into the greenhouse and took a place at the very back, but didn't comment on Lily's tardiness.
Professor Sprout had them start on their assignment and headed straight back to Lily. Lily was already starting when the professor came up and Lily almost expected to get a `talking to' about being on time to class. Professor Sprout didn't say anything, but concern was etched into her face. Alice mirrored the same look.
Sirius, Remus, Peter, and James all looked at her. It was so unusual for Lily to be late to a class and for her to sit so far back from the teacher's desk. Sirius shot Severus a look, but he was unreadable. Severus' eyes were trained on Lily, search and looking for something in her eyes. She wouldn't look at Severus. Lily glanced up at the Marauders, making eye contact with James for a moment, before shoving her dagger deep into her hand. She looked down at it in shock, the pod that she had been trying to open now drenched in her blood.
"Lily," Professor Sprout said as Lily swayed a second. She looked down at Lily's hand and nearly screamed as she rushed to her side.
"I… don't… know… what… happened…" Lily whispered as her knees buckled. Professor Sprout grabbed her immediately.
"Continue working!" Professor Sprout bellowed at them as she turned Lily toward the door. She glanced down as Lily gripped the handle of the knife. "No, Lily! For God's sake, Lily, don't pull it out!"
Lily stood there with the dagger in one hand drenched in her own hot, sticky blood, the other bleeding profusely. Lily was ghastly white. James rushed to her side, scooped her up in his arms, and took off toward the hospital with Professor Sprout on his heels. Lily held the dagger in one hand, just looking at it in shock.
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