I'll Fight For You
By Hazelmist/Summerskies
Disclaimer: I own Shakespeare, the Adams family, Gabriella Mirabella and the world's largest snail.
A/N: Thank you so much for reviewing!!! I hope you enjoy this chapter too and let me know what you think!
Chapter 3: Stuck in this Nightmare
I open my eyes and look around. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust because the sun has gone down. When they finally do, I notice that it's not night yet, just dusk, and that it's about half past seven. Outside the shadows mingle with the final purplish glow, the aftermath of what might have been a glorious sunset had Gracie, James and I been there to witness it. But inside there's nothing but suspicious shadows and a dim eerie light that bathes the kitchen cabinets and the table, exposing their flaws and making them almost unrecognizable.
I know that if I turn on the light, everything will look the same as it always does, but right now everything looks different. It's as if I'm viewing the world in a whole different light. Suddenly my big bright cheery fantasy world has collapsed around me and I'm faced with problems and fears that I was never aware of before. It's all because of that horrible letter. A part of me wishes that I had never opened it.
I shudder, remembering what information a single piece of paper contained. An arm tightens around my shoulders. Startled, I look up and find James staring off into space with a troubled expression on his face. I forgot about him. I must have drifted off or zoned out for a few minutes.
James glances down and notices that I'm back on planet earth and wide awake, unfortunately. I'm still hoping that this is an insane nightmare that I'm going to wake up from, but it appears that this insane nightmare is my life.
"Hi," I whisper.
"Hi," James replies, quietly. Then he looks back at the telephone that he's been staring aimlessly at for Merlin only knows how long. He must really be out of it if he finds a telephone that fascinating.
Maybe I should give him some time by himself. His uncle and cousin just died. He might want to be alone. And I'm aching all over. I guiltily admit that sitting wrapped in James's arms was quite comfy, but now the handles on the kitchen cabinets are starting to dig into my back, and the tile's so cold and hard beneath me. I move my legs and fidget, trying to get into a more comfortable position.
It's no use though, and James doesn't even appear to notice that I exist. I start moving discreetly away from him, trying not to wreck his intent concentration on the telephone. I wouldn't want him to lose any staring contests with an inanimate object.
Again James surprises me. He notices, not only that, but he helpfully removes his arm from my shoulder.
"Do you want something to eat or drink?" I ask, realizing that James asked me that same line a couple of hours ago.
James shakes his head.
"Are you sure?" I ask, studying him.
He thinks it over.
"How about a cup of tea?" I ask, hopefully. He looks so hopeless sitting there on the floor like a lost little boy. I remember how Mom would make me tea whenever I was sick or upset about something. It always cheered me up because it made me feel grown up. Mom would sit across from me and listen intently to everything I had to say. And when I finished, she always had an explanation and a solution. She knew everything and could solve anything. Right up until the day I received my letter from Hogwarts announcing that I was a witch.
Mom didn't have an explanation for that, and she couldn't answer any of my questions or solve any of the problems that I began to encounter. That was when I realized that I was alone in the magical world and learned to stand on my own two feet.
"I'll make tea," I say, patting his arm. What else can I say? It's not my uncle and cousin that died.
I get to my feet slowly and reach for the kettle. It's still in the sink, behind James. The water's already running and I haven't even touched it. Oh no. I left the tap running, again. I slap my forehead. Dad's going to have a fit when he sees the water bill this month. I shut off the water, step over James, and light the stove, leaving it to boil.
Quietly, I approach James and kneel down in front of him.
"James?"
James doesn't answer. His eyes are level with mine, but instead of looking into my eyes they're looking right through me. I swear he has X-ray vision or something, because I can almost feel two holes being burned right through my eyes and out the back of my head. It's starting to creep me out, so against my better judgment I say his name again instead of leaving him alone.
"James?"
No reply.
Great. Now it's a zombie that's inhabiting James Potter's body.
I sigh, wondering what to do now that I've lost contact with James. Perhaps he'll come around once I make the tea. Give him time. He'll be okay, just give him some time.
I get up off the floor, and wander over to the kitchen table. The tea won't be done for another ten minutes, so I entertain myself by going through yesterday's half-opened mail, (Junk mail, bill, junk mail, bill, letter for Petu-junk mail, junk mail) and a few magazines (so Petunia can look like she actually knows how to read). I push away the last flyer and I'm surprised to find yesterday's paper still sitting there.
I usually don't read the paper. I know, bad Lily, you should keep up with the news, but it just seems stupid now that I'm no longer a part of this world. I am, but I'm not. As soon as I graduate Hogwarts there is no question in my mind. I am going to live in the Wizarding World.
There's nothing left but the paper, and there is no way I am reading about why I should get Burn's Life Insurance, or how in just 5 steps I can be as beautiful as the person on the cover of Petunia's magazine. I roll my eyes and flip open the paper.
FAMOUS ACTRESS GABRIELLA MIRABELLA DIVORCES 11th HUSBAND
That's the headline on the front page. Now I remember why I stopped reading the paper. Just for the heck of it though, I flip over to the other side and skim a couple of the leading stories.
PRESIDENT CARTER PAYS VISIT TO LONDON
Who cares?
LARGEST SNAIL EVER RECORDED FOUND IN CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS
Now that's funny.
MIRABELLA's EX-HUSBAND'S COMMENT
MIRABELLA's 6.8 BILLION DOLLAR MANSION UP FOR SALE
MIRABELLA'S NEWEST MOVIE HITS THEATERS
God, does the world really revolve around this woman?
GABRIELLA MIRABELLA WITHDRAWS SUPPORT FROM CANDIDATE
EXPLOSION IN LONDON STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION
Yadda, yadda, yadda, wait- explosion?
I leaf through the paper, attempting to find the article. It shows up on page seventy eight, after about fifty pages of Mirabella news, and twenty seven of advertisements. There's a huge black and white photo of a building that's been demolished. Nothing's left of it but a pile of twigs.
CAUSE OF MYSTERIOUS LONDON EXPLOSION UNKNOWN
On August 17th, an explosion tore through one of London's finest and oldest antique shops, killing the owner and his wife, as well as two employees, and eleven unidentified customers. The explosion happened without warning, on a brilliant warm summer day. The foundation was secure, and the building has been standing on its own for as long as anyone can remember. But within minutes nothing was there but a pile of wood, and a group of confused shoppers and Londoners. Rescuers arrived at the scene immediately but were unable to save any of the victims. It's unexplainable, and still puzzles and troubles skilled investigators. The explosion's mysterious origins have not been discovered just yet, just as the identities of several of the victims remains a mystery.
The picture catches my attention and I notice the building beside it. I know where that book store is! I haven't been in to London a lot, but I recognize the location of this mysterious explosion. I peer closely at the picture, squinting. I can't remember why, but there's something very significant about this location. I just know it.
"Er - Lily?"
"Hmm?" I keep staring at the photograph, searching my poor memory.
"I don't mean to interrupt or anything… but… your stoves on fire."
"That's nice." Carefully, I tear the article and the photograph out of the paper.
"Lily?"
"Yea?" I fold it and slip it into my pocket.
"Maybe you didn't hear me correctly I said your-"
"I know, I know my stove's on FIRE?!"
Alarms start going off in my head, as I look wildly around for the stove and the deadly flames. My stove is in fact on fire, but that's what usually happens when you turn it on. The burner is flaming, but it's not that big of a deal. The tea's done, that's for sure, but the tea kettle is missing. I look around and find the tea kettle with James. I almost laugh at the sight of him cradling it like a precious possession. James looks terrified, and is staring at the out of control burner from a safe distance away with large fearful hazel eyes.
"Do something!" he shouts.
James is afraid of STOVES! MUGGLE STOVES! I can't help it, a giggle escapes my lips. Hurriedly, I clap a hand over my mouth.
"Stop the fire. Put it out! Get rid of it! I don't care what you do, just do something! Please!" he begs. I try hard not to laugh, but James is hanging onto the kettle as if his life depends on it. He's practically on his hands and knees asking me to put an end to it.
If only the circumstances were different. I would be able to get back at Potter for the five years of hell he's put me through. Think of the power of blackmail. It's just too bad we're in this situation.
"Damn it Lily, we're going to die!"
Honestly, these wizards. They think they're so great until they encounter something as simple as a muggle stove. I get up and approach the flaming stove. With a roll of my eyes, I shut the stove off. A mere turn of a knob, that's all it took. Suddenly, I'm Potter's savior, again.
I turn around and face him. He's leaning against the wall with his arms wrapped around the kettle as if it were a security blanket. His brow is shining with a little sweat and he appears to be having difficulty breathing.
"Are you okay?" I ask.
"NO!"
I'm having déjà vu. I feel like we've already gone through this routine, except it was James who was asking me if I was okay and I was the one getting ready to snap his head off and blow out his ear drums.
"Merlin Lily, that's the third time you tried to kill me today!" he explodes. "Are you planning on taking out a knife or something and stabbing me? Or perhaps you're going to shoot me with an unforgivable when my back's turned because by all means, do it now before I die of fright. I'm getting sick of waiting to join them. Please, let's get this over with once and for all."
The humor's zapped out of the situation. I feel the balloon deflate inside of me. How could I be so inconsiderate? This isn't the usual Potter that I'm dealing with. The kid just lost his uncle and cousin. I'm so cruel. I really am heartless.
"I'm not trying to kill you James. Rest assured, we're both stuck in this hell together," I say, softly.
James stares at me, his eyes darting up and down and all over my figure.
"Look, I'm sorry. I was a little busy and well, most people don't freak out when they see a stove on. But it's a muggle thing I guess. I'm really sorry James. I should've known that you're not used to staying in the Muggle world," I apologize, taking baby steps toward him.
James stops backing away, and I inch toward him. I pause a foot away from him and hold my hand out to him. James eyes it, unwilling to take either one of his hands off of the tea kettle.
"I'm not going to hurt you James. You'll have to ask someone else to put you out of your misery." I extend my hand.
James hesitantly removes his hand from the tea kettle and touches mine. My fingers close over his and he smiles shakily as our eyes meet.
"It's not so bad," he whispers.
"What?" I ask, quietly.
"Hell… but maybe that's because we're both in it together." A shadow of a grin appears on his face for an instant and I can almost see the light returning to his darkened eyes.
"You're right, it isn't so bad," I echo, with a chuckle.
We stare at each other, hand in hand. It seems like we've been doing this a lot lately. Odd really, since usually it was just James staring at the back of my head, not the other way around, and I, for the record, would never be caught dead staring at Potter.
"Lily?" he whispers.
"What?" I ask, wondering why we're whispering.
"I hate to spoil the moment, but my hands."
"What about them?"
"They're beginning to hurt."
I remove my hand from his, glance over the back of his hand, and then turn it over in mine. I gasp at the sight of the red ugly flesh. He burnt himself.
"James you idiot!" I push him into the nearest chair. "Why didn't you tell me you burnt yourself?!" I scold, taking my wand from my pocket.
"Sorry, all I could think about was saving you Ms. Evans," James jokes.
I laugh loudly at this, perhaps a little too loudly. But I've missed his jokes. It's so weird to see James serious and suddenly I realize how much better the joking, troublesome, laughing, mischievous prankster suits him.
"You better watch it Potter, or I might fall back on my promise and decide to frighten you again." But I'm grinning.
"That's an empty threat Ms. Evans, I know for a fact that secretly you can't resist my charm. You're just too stubborn to admit it." He smirks.
Haughty, self-centered, arrogant and smirking, yep, that's Potter. He's back from the dead and taking on both the alien and the zombie. I smile for some odd reason, almost liking the fact that he's acting semi-normal again.
"Don't be so sure Potter." I smirk. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."
James raises an eyebrow as if challenging me.
"There's still the microwave, the fridge, the freezer, the television…"
James starts to pale.
"…the telephone, the automobile…"
Now he's starting to fidget a little bit.
"…I could go on and on Potter, after all you're in the non-magical world. Here you're the stranger, not me. You seem to be forgetting that."
That'll take care of him for a little while. I start to heal his hands with the aid of my wand and just as I hoped, James stays put, and doesn't attempt to grope me in anyway or ask me into a closet or a bedroom. Things get done faster when there isn't someone trying to seduce you. Even if Potter fails miserably at this, he's still an annoyance.
"Ow, Lily! That hurts," he whimpers.
"You're such a baby." I roll my eyes.
"I am not!"
"You are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"AM NOT!"
"ARE TOO!"
"AM NO-OUCH!"
He yanks his hands away from mine. Slowly he turns his hands over, examining the newly healed flesh. Distraction always works. Wordlessly, he looks up at me, flexing his now painless, normal hands.
"All done."
I reach up and ruffle his hair, as if he were a toddler since he's been acting like one. Halfheartedly, he tries to shove me away, but I manage to mess up his hair. He runs his hands through his hair trying to smooth it back down. I laugh because it's impossible. James Potter has messy, wild, unruly black hair that's always sticking up in every direction. It simply refuses to lie flat.
"What are you laughing at?" he snaps.
"Nothing," I say, shaking my head.
"You're laughing at me!" he accuses.
"Of course not," I lie.
Instead of arguing with me, he sits back in his chair and sighs. He runs a hand through his hair again, looking over my shoulder at the rest of the kitchen.
"How about a cup of tea?" I ask, getting to my feet. I go to the cabinet and remove two tea cups and then sit back down again.
"Sure, sounds great," James grabs one of the tea cups and I pour the tea inside.
I fill my cup as well, and discreetly watch James over the top of my cup. He takes a sip, looks thoughtful for a moment, and then suddenly stands up.
"Where do you think you're going?" I demand.
"I'm going to check on Gracie," James replies.
"Oh, okay."
I sip my tea and twiddle my thumbs, waiting for James to return. Five minutes later he comes back and sits back down in front of me.
"How is she?" I inquire.
"Still sleeping,"
We lapse into silence, drinking and finishing our tea. It's not an awkward silence. It's more of a comfortable contented silence. And to tell you the truth, this new and improved James is starting to grow on me and irritate me at the same time. Half of me still wants him to return to normal while the other half is enjoying the company of this kind, thoughtful, non-groping, not always thinking of self, James.
"We can't stay here," James says finally, shattering the fragile silence.
"Why not?" I ask. I tip my cup, staring into the thin layer of liquid that still rests at the bottom. I try to shift the cup a little so that it'll catch the light and maybe I'll be able to see my reflection in the watery brown tea.
"It's probably safer here," I add.
"No, it's not."
I look up at him, surprised.
"Lily," he hesitates. "Your parents might be in danger if we stay here."
"No!"
James nods, solemnly.
"What do you mean?" I stammer.
"Lily," He sighs and runs a hand through his hair again. "There's a lot we need to explain to you when we get back, but now is not the time."
"But-"
"Just hear me out Lily, please," he says, grabbing my hand and looking me in the eye. "Gracie's family was just murdered and Gracie's here. I don't know why Gracie's family was murdered or why any of the others had to die, but not many of them survive once this monster decides to kill them. Trust me on this one Lily; if we're here, your parents are in danger."
I close my eyes trying to get my heart beat back to normal. But all I can see is a large foreboding tombstone with the names of Matthew and Alexandra Evans engraved in the granite.
"Do you understand?" James asks.
It's difficult to comprehend but I grasp some form of the concept. I swallow hard and nod.
"I get it." I open my eyes and look at him. "How soon can we get out of here?"
"Um, well, erm. I'm not sure," James says, guiltily.
"James, you just told me that my parent's lives are in danger! We need to get out of here!" I yell.
"I know that Lily and believe me I would've been long gone if the circumstances were different."
"Well let's go!" I throw back my chair and start toward the living room where Gracie is.
"But Lily you're forgetting something." James suddenly appears in front of me, blocking my path and refusing to budge.
"What?" I ask, unsuccessfully trying to get by him.
"The ministry went into lock down."
"I don't care if the ministry drops off the face of the earth, we just need to get out of here." I push him with all my might but he won't move.
"I don't think you understand," he says, grabbing me by the shoulders.
"Well, then you better explain." I fold my arms across my chest and glare up at him.
"The Floo network's shut down."
Oh. That puts a damper on everything. My escape plan flies right out the window. I can just kiss my parents goodbye, and probably James and Gracie as well.
Gracie's haunting words come back to me.
"We're stuck here."
And then she started crying. Right now, I feel like crying again.
James and I go back to the drawing table, sitting back down in our chairs. There's not much we can do. I know for a fact that wizards and witches always take floo powder to get to and from the muggle world on those rare occasions that they have too. Gracie told me this several times. Take that away and I don't know what to do, and apparently neither does James.
Think Lily, think, your parent's lives depend on this, think.
"Hey let's just take a train in or we can have my Dad drive us!"
James grins.
"Yeah that's a great idea, I'll just take the train-"
His face falls. I don't think many trains run to their house.
"Okay screw the train how about driving, I know you guys have town cars, Gracie told me."
James's face lights up again and he looks at me excitedly.
"You're right! We can get your Dad to drive us and then-"
Again his face falls.
"What's wrong with that idea?" I demand.
"I don't know where I live," James mumbles.
"WHAT?!"
"I don't live in the muggle world," he says, throwing up his hands defensively.
"But James-"
"You wouldn't be able to find your house on the floo network even if your life depended on it."
He's right of course. We've reached another dead end.
"Wait, wait just a minute!" James sits upright in his chair, his eyes lighting up again. "The Knight Bus we can take the Knight Bus!"
"The what-?" I haven't the faintest idea what he's talking about. It doesn't matter though because an instant later he slumps back down in his chair.
I raise an eyebrow.
"It doesn't run during lock down," he replies, glumly.
Damn.
"It's hopeless," I say with a sigh.
"I just wish I had taken my Silver Arrow with me," James laments.
"Well, you didn't." Thank Merlin for that. I'm not very keen on broomsticks. It's just another one of the many reasons why I dislike Potter so much.
"That's it!" James exclaims, suddenly.
Oh god, please don't tell me this is what I think it is.
"You have a broom, don't you?"
I knew he was going to ask that.
"Yes, but James it's not the same thing," I protest, weakly.
"Nonsense," James says with a wave of his hand. "Show me the broom and we can talk after that."
"Fine, but you'll be disappointed," I warn.
I sigh and reluctantly walk over to the kitchen closet. James follows me. He has so much energy that he's practically bouncing. Honestly, he's like a little kid waiting to open Christmas presents. I open up the small closet and we peer inside. It never ceases to amaze me how Mom was able to fill that closet with nothing but cleaning supplies. I can tell you one thing, when I grow up I am using magic to clean my house.
I push aside the vacuum and retrieve the good old plastic broom.
"Here it is, the impressive Sweeper 200," I quip, handing it to him.
James turns it over in his hands, frowning.
"What's wrong? Is it not up to the Silver Arrow standards?" I smirk.
Finally he looks up at me, with a look of disgust.
"What the hell is this?" he asks, gesturing to the plastic.
"That, is a broom," I answer, smugly.
"No, this is not a broom. This is some ugly yellow cane that's sprouting hair at one end."
"We muggles like to call it a plastic broom," I defend.
"You're not a muggle," James corrects me, handing the broom back.
"I live with them though," I whisper, wondering if I ever will again.
I replace the broom and start to shut the closet but James stops me.
"What's that?" he inquires, pointing to the vacuum.
"A vacuum."
"What does it do?" James asks, curiously.
"James, it's called a vacuum for a reason, it sucks things up like a black hole."
"Oh," He glances fearfully at the vacuum and backs away from the closet. I grin and close the door behind me. Too bad we didn't have time to plug it in and turn it on. It would've been fun to chase James around the house with my man-eating vacuum.
"Now what?" he wonders aloud.
"I don't know. I'm all out of ideas." I shrug.
"Great," he says, sarcastically.
The two of us walk back to the table. We're running out of time. It's almost nine o'clock. My parents might be dead right now for all I know.
"James?" I ask.
"What?" He turns to me.
"How long does this lock down thing usually last?" I inquire.
"Er, I don't really know," he admits, honestly.
"Oh," I stare down at my hands.
"The last time this happened I was nine," he recalls.
"What happened then?" I look up at him.
"Not much. My mom locked me in a room with Gracie and Chris-" He stops suddenly at the mention of his dead cousin. His eyes fall to the table and his voice softens. "That's all I remember."
I reach across the table and cover his hand with mine. Actions, my father once told me, speak louder than words. At the thought of my father, the death threat echoes in my mind. Again I see the tombstone and I realize that if we don't hurry up my parents will be joining Chris and his dad in the ground. I clear my throat.
"I don't mean to be rude James, but my parents-"
"I'm aware of that Lily, I'm thinking hard, or I'm at least trying to think of a way to get the three of us out of here before they get home."
"Home," I echo. Wait, just a minute! I think I have an idea.
"James, what if I told them not to come home. Then we could wait until this whole mess blows over and go back by flow powder and they'd never find my parents," I suggest, attempting to hide the enthusiasm in my voice.
But the look on James's face is enough to crush any happy thought that I once had.
"It won't work, Lily."
"Why not?"
James leans forward, lowering his voice as if someone might already be listening in on our conversation.
"I don't think you know who we're dealing with. Whoever this person is broke into a highly protected vault in the Ministry and took something we'll probably never be able to get back. If they want to kill your parents they won't have any trouble tracking them down."
My eyes widen, and my jaw drops.
"They what?" I gasp.
Is this what Gracie and James were planning on telling me before Gracie received the news of her parent's death?
"Never mind, it's too dangerous to talk about it here, and your parents-"
"You're right we don't have time for this," I interrupt.
I can almost hear the clock ticking in my mind. You know those movies where the handsome hero has to locate the bad guy's bomb and then cut the right wires before the whole world blows into smithereens, not to mention killing the main character and his lover, kids, dog, parents, best friend, brother, sister, crazy next door neighbor, annoying partner, you get the idea, and all this time those glowing red numbers are counting down to zero at lightening speed. Well, that's what it feels like. There's this huge glowing clock in my mind, except I don't know how much time is left, or even if the time has already-
"AAAAHHHHHHH!"
-run out.
"Was that you?" I ask James, stupidly.
"No! That was a girl screaming-" The color drains from his face, as realization sets in.
"Gracie?" I squeak, fearfully.
"CRUD!" The two of us get up and run to the living room.
Oh, god. Oh, Merlin. Please, this can't be happening. Please, I can't lose my best friend. Please. Tell me we're not too late.
I can hear the sound of a scuffle. Someone slams into a wall or a large piece of furniture. A scream of frustration echoes through the hall and I hear the sounds of someone running.
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" a voice screams.
Someone's trying to kill her! My heart's slamming in my chest so hard that I can barely breathe. I won't let this happen, I won't! The house never seemed so big until now. It seems to take me ages to get out of the kitchen and cross the hall to the living room. James reaches the room before me, disappearing inside. I follow him, slamming into his tall form.
James doesn't notice though. He's frozen in place, rooted to the floor. Don't tell me we're too late! I peek around his broad shoulders bracing myself for a severely injured Grace, or worse, a lifeless body.
But I don't see anything.
I move to his side, my eyes frantically searching the room. There's no one here. The room's empty.
"Gracie?" I call.
No one answers. Not that I was expecting anyone to.
"Where'd they go?" James asks, as if I should know.
I shrug. He got here first so he should know.
"Gracie!" he yells.
"GRACIE!" I holler with all my lung power.
"I AM GOING TO FREAKING KILL YOU!" a distant voice shouts.
James swings around and looks at me, his eyes wide with fear.
"It's coming from the back yard," I breathe. "Come on!" I race to the back door, with James right on my heels.
We run outside, and James quickly takes the lead again. He's a fast runner. (It's the Quidditch thing I bet. As soon as we get back to Hogwarts - that is if I live through this - I am going to seriously consider Quidditch.) We run around the house once, twice, and then panting we slow to a jog, me just barely matching his speed. It's dark out, and James and I don't have the faintest clue where Gracie and her tormentor might be.
"I… think… we… lost… them," I pant, as I try to catch my breath.
"Me too," James says, wisely saving his breath.
We jog around the house a third time, but my strength wanes, and I see nothing in the darkness.
"I…can't…see…anyth-OW!"
I trip, and fall to the ground, clutching my ankle. How dumb, how incredibly stupid can I get? I tripped over my own mailbox!
"You okay?" James asks, softly. I feel his arms around me, helping me up. I bite down hard on my lip, as I accidentally put weight on the injured ankle. I am not going to cry over something as silly as a sprained ankle.
"Is it your foot?"
"My ankle," I correct him, pointing out which one it is.
"Can you walk?" he asks, throwing my arm around his neck.
I try to walk, or rather limp, but it's not working out. James is on the wrong side and he doesn't seem to understand that if he just moved to my other side I could limp just perfectly fine with his support. But nothing gets through that thick skull of his.
"This isn't working," James sighs.
"No it's not, but if you would just - what are you doing?" I demand as James suddenly sweeps me off my feet.
"I'm carrying you," he answers, simply.
"James, put me down! JAMES!" I squeal and throw my arms around his neck hanging on for dear life as he grabs both of my legs and starts carrying me.
"Will you quit squirming Lily? You're not making this any easier," he hisses in my ear.
"I don't like being carried!" I try to wriggle free from his grasp, but James hangs on tight. I hate him, I really do. He's making me so uncomfortable right now and even if we are in this situation it doesn't make it right for him to be allowed to touch me. Then I remember that he's only doing this so that we can locate and rescue Gracie and instantly I stop struggling and remain still.
"You should have left me," I mumble.
"Left you there?! And find you missing like Gracie, or dead? I couldn't do that Lily," he whispers, carefully lowering me onto the front steps. He sits down beside me. The light from the streetlight bounces off his glasses, making it difficult for me to read the expression in his eyes.
"But Gracie-" I protest.
"We're going to find her. But I think right now she might be taking care of herself."
I laugh and then look up at him, confused.
"What do you mean?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
James chuckles, and takes out his wand pointing it at my ankle. I try to move but he's quicker. He grabs my ankle, his hand cool on my skin. A shiver runs up my spine, and suddenly I'm not resisting anymore, even though I know I could probably do a much better job than him. I can't move, I can barely breathe.
"You didn't hear her?" James asks me, a hint of amusement mixed with the customary sadness. I can't reply; I'm tongue tied.
"I thought the whole bloody world could hear her the way she was hollering, whoever showed up is in big trouble. Gracie's on a war path, and this time she's out for blood."
"YOU'RE DEAD!" This time the voice is a lot closer.
James head snaps up and his arm shoots out pulling me to his side. I scoot closer to him, my heart thudding once more. Two shadowy shapes come into view, and this time I'm sure that the one behind, the one that's chasing the first, is Gracie. The one in front - that's currently running for his life, trying to get as far away from this mad woman as he can - actually looks familiar. In fact, James seems to recognize him too because all of a sudden he throws back his head and laughs.
"BBBBLLLLAAACCCCKKKK! I'M GONNA KILL YOU FOR THIS BLACK!" Gracie roars, tearing after the boy.
Relief washes over me as a terrified Sirius Black sprints past us, with a furious Grace Adams in hot pursuit.
I close my eyes and we're back at Hogwarts. We're fifteen again with nothing to worry about other than exams, and the Marauder's latest prank. Happy and carefree, my best friend threatening to kill or dismember one of the members of the Marauders, running by the lake, shooting harmless spells at one another. The memories flash by me all at once. Then I see the articles, the black owl and it's letter, Gracie crying, James clutching the tea kettle and yelling, and finally me, crying in James Potter's arms on the kitchen floor. The two worlds collide, and here we are on the front step. Potter and I.
My shoulders slump with the impact of all the memories, and I lean back against James, breathing hard. I can feel him shaking, vibrating with the chords of empty laughter. I open my eyes and watch as Gracie and Sirius run past us again, heading in the opposite direction.
"We shouldn't be laughing," I say, at last.
"Why not?" he asks. His laughter is empty, but he wears an amused expression, as if he does find something funny about the situation after all.
"Because-" But I can't bring myself to finish the sentence. I'm so confused. I don't know whether I should be crying or laughing. I look up at James and he smiles, as if he knows what I'm thinking and he has the answers.
"Lily, Gracie's alive and okay. And Sirius is here. Do you know what that means?"
I shake my head, trying to figure out where he's going with this.
"The floo network's back up, Lily. We're going home!"
"Home," I echo. I think of my parents, the tombstone fading, replaced with an image of a future Christmas together.
Home. I glance back at the house, and realize for the first time that it seems empty, and cold, and doesn't strike any enthusiasm or light any emotions. The only thing I connect vaguely with the house is my parents, and never in all my life have I wanted to get further away from them.
My mind turns to the Wizarding World where Gracie, James, Sirius, and all my friends, fellow students, professors, and tormentors are waiting. Hogwarts. My heart leaps at the mere thought of returning.
Home.
I'm going home, to my real home.
"It's not funny," I scold James.
"Why not?" he asks again, studying me with his hazel eyes.
"Sirius could get seriously hurt."
James smirks and gives my shoulders a squeeze. I can hear Gracie's voice echoing through the yard, but this time Sirius is answering her. Neither one of us can tell what it is they're arguing about.
"Have some faith in him Lily!" James urges.
Something bubbles up inside of me. When I open my mouth, laughter is the glorious sound that rushes to the surface. James joins in and his laughter echoes through the night.
I do have faith, just not necessarily in Sirius. But I know Gracie. She's merciful most of the time. So, there's a pretty good chance that Sirius will come out of this alive.
Sure enough, I see Gracie dragging Sirius back by his ear. He's whining, and begging for mercy, but he's alive. I think there's hope after all for Sirius. Gracie, there's no question in my mind. If someone wants to kill her, they're going to have to answer to Gracie the devil woman first. So, there's hope for her. And as for James and I, I think there's hope for us too.
No, wait! I know what you're thinking, but it's nothing like that! I just meant that there was hope for us individually and not as a couple. NO! There is no future for US. There is a future for James, and there is a future for me, but there is no together. No, you don't understand! I really didn't mean it that way!
Well, there's hope. You get the idea, the wrong idea, but all the same. And after this whole thing is over and done with and I can go back to living out my life as a normal (well not exactly normal since I'm a witch) teenager, and I go back to hating James, (because I still hate him I just HAVE to be nice to him since his uncle and cousin just died), I'm seriously going to seek counseling.
Wait, do they even have counseling in the Wizarding World?
A/N: Thanks again to everyone who reviewed the last three chapters. I'd love to hear what you think so, please review! The next chapter should be up very soon!!
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