Thank you for your interest in continuing the story! As always, I do not own this setting or characters. Reviews make me want to write more, so please...review me!

Ash

Chapter Two

A Disturbance

The hall erupted into a frenzy of harsh whispers. Remus looked stern and remained very still. Sirius's back was ramrod straight, eyes pinioned onto Severus's appearance like a wolf's ears at the faintest noise of prey. James was poker faced, hazel eyes deceptively blank.

Lily's expression was also devoid of emotion, but inside her chest a heavy heart beat rapidly. Despite their falling out last year, she never wanted her once best friend to be harmed, and seeing him so bloody and bruised made her stomach churn. Amelia rested her hand on Lily's knee under the table, knowing well that the red-head was at war with herself.

Severus Snape stood in the doorway of the hall, his dark eyes viciously accusing everyone seated. Or more accurately one eye, as his left eyelid was swollen shut and as purple as a plum. His sallow, bland face was contorted into a sneer. There was a horribly deep gash oozing clotting blood across his forehead, and his lip was split so badly that they could almost see his bottom teeth.

He was breathing heavily and the robes he wore, faded and too short, were covered in dirt. His hands, one of them holding his left elbow, were shaking. His wand was nowhere to be seen.

Severus gave the crowd another scathing glance and began walking slowly to the Slytherin table. Professor McGonagall, concerned despite her dislike for the boy, took a step to try and aid him. But Wolfrik Dolohov, Slytherin's Head Boy, stood and walked crisply to help Severus inch his way to their table

He collapsed onto the bench, hunched over his plate so his long black hair hid most of the injuries. Wolfrik smiled venomously at Professor McGonagall and took his place next to Severus.

With a loud clearing of her throat, Professor McGonagall held up a roll of parchment and continued her announcements of first years.

"Anabella Nott!"

While most of the students had gone back to watching Anabella strut up to the hat, Lily's eyes were transfixed upon Severus.

"Lily, he'll be alright." Amelia whispered gently.

"I know, but why didn't he go to Madam Pomfrey?" Lily muttered. She was perplexed. It wasn't like Severus to show off, much less admit to injury. Suddenly he appears, wounded and wandless, and allows the whole school to see him hurt? Something was off and she could feel it in her bones.

Severus, however, did not notice Lily's concerned, green gaze. He also didn't allow Professor McGonagall a sign that he was alright. Instead his one unscathed black eye, filled with rage and hate, was set on James Potter. The handsome young man, so unlike Severus, met his adversary's look with hardened resilience. His glasses gleamed in the candlelight.

Lily noticed this standoff and felt her racing heart sink to her knees. Was James to blame? And if so, was Peter the scapegoat of a mad scheme to put Severus in his place, to set the boundaries for the beginning of the year? It was the only obvious explanation, seeing as Peter never missed a meal.

"Amelia…" Lily finally said, clapping obligatorily as the last of the first years was sorted. "I think James had something to do with this."

Amelia whipped her head to stare at Lily, lips pursed and eyes hard. "No." she said harshly. Lily pulled away in surprise at her friend's sudden animosity. "He wouldn't do something like that, not that he wouldn't love an opportunity to sock Severus in the jaw. But James is no coward Lils, you know that. If he were going to have a go at Sev he would want an audience. Plus, they were ahead of us the whole way up to the castle." The blonde girl shook her head, bob swishing. "You always assume the worst from him."

Lily shook her head. "But where is Peter? He's always with the three boys…why isn't he here now, right as Sev walks in looking like a troll took a hammer to his face!" she pleaded. "And besides, you know I have plenty of reasons to tack James as the perpetrator." But at her friend's honest words, a sliver of guilt had wormed its way into Lily's mind.

A loud hush suddenly permeated the air, and the two girls turned to watch Albus Dumbledore rise from his chair.

"To our returning students, welcome back." He began, his voice soothing and full of warmth. "I would hope that you know my name by now, but for the sake of our first years I shall introduce myself. I am Albus Dumbledore, your headmaster. I am delighted to see so many new and eager faces here at Hogwarts.

As you have now been sorted into your houses, you will come to understand that they are, henceforth, your family. Even so," he paused, raising a finger in seriousness, "the other houses are equally worthy of admiration and friendship, and I hope that this year Hogwarts sees new progress in the coalition of all four houses."

Although he didn't linger long, James, Lily, and Severus felt Dumbledore's scrutiny particularly strong.

"These are troublesome times we are witnessing, my dear students. It is up to you, the future of our wizarding community, to decide whether or not the forthcoming moments in our history will be filled with heroes, or enemies of goodness and joy. I hope you choose wisely." He let the gravity of his words sink in.

"Now, on a simpler note," he clapped his hands together. "Tuck in."

The hall erupted into laughter, chatter, and tables creaking under the sudden appearance of delicious food. But the mood of the students had darkened, their minds suddenly dwelling on the news of missing wizards and witches, reanimated bodies, and of skulls and snakes glittering maliciously in the sky.

Lily and Amelia felt the attitude in the hall shift and decided wordlessly to drop their previous discussion. Lily kept her eyes off of Severus and James and instead let them roam, unfocused. She hardly ate at all.

The feast ended shortly after pudding and dessert, and Dumbledore wished them all the best of luck. Lily rose with Amelia and they followed their fellow Gryffindors out of the Hall. The two girls, silent, had only just reached the Grand Staircase when Lily heard her name. She spun around, standing on her toes to see who called, hoping selfishly that it was Severus.

Tilly was shoving her way toward Lily and Amelia, cursing viciously under her breath. Her furious expression made Lily giggle, and Amelia heaved a great sigh at her sister's recklessness.

"For fucks sake," she huffed, "People are absolute bastards here, aren't they." A first year, recognizable by the lost, amazed expression on his face, bumped into Tilly, who butted into Lily. The feisty blonde snapped at the poor boy and sent him sniveling up the stairs.

"Honestly Tilly," Lily reprimanded, following slowly in the boys wake. "You ought to be nicer to people, or they'll think you're an evil hag. Oh wait! You already are."

Amelia chortled and gave Lily a high five.

Tilly ignored the two girls and waved her hands about her head. "That's not the problem. What the hell was Severus doing walking in like he'd risen from the grave?" She hissed. Despite Ravenclaw's dorm room being in the opposite direction Amelia and Lily were walking, Tilly continued to follow.

Lily shook her head, suddenly distracted by James's shock of black hair bobbing up a shifting staircase.

"I have no idea." She replied. "But I'm going to ask Potter if he has anything to do with it."

Tilly's expression of disbelief matched her sibling's. "Lily…you don't honestly think-"

"Will you both give me a break? Good lord you must share thoughts!" Lily snapped, rounding on the sisters. "Look I know he would never do something that horrendous. But I'm going to ask anyway. Is that fair? Is that okay with you?"

"Oi, Lils, keep your voice down, you're like a fucking banshee I swear."

It was Marlene McKinnon who had interrupted them, a fellow Gryffindor and best friend. She managed to jump the bottom foot of the staircase before it grumbled into motion. Marlene, average and eccentric, leaned against the marble banister and surveyed the other girls. Her dark blonde hair was piled on top of her head in a frizzy bun.

Lily had never been so relieved to see anyone. Marlene shared Lily's humor and always had a way of making her feel better.

"Where the hell were you?" Lily asked, her anger still bubbling at the surface. Marlene hugged Amelia and Tilly simultaneously.

"Tilly, shouldn't you be going thataway?" Marlene asked quizzically and ignoring Lily, who scowled.

"Yeah, probably." Tilly replied halfheartedly as the staircase shuddered into its new place. When they reached the next corridor she grabbed Lily's arm and jerked her to the side. The other girls, realizing their friends had vanished, backtracked to the niche where they stood.

"Look," Tilly said quickly. "Whatever you find out let me know, alright? I've got to get back to the dorm or Edgar is going to have my neck."

Lily tried to speak but Tilly clamped her whole hand around the other girl's mouth.

"Listen to me for once," she said, expression stern. "I understand you're worried, but promise us you won't go bouncing off the walls demanding that when anything bad happens it's Potter's fault. We know you have feelings for him-"

Lily, filled with sudden indignation, narrowed her eyes and began yelling. All that the three girls heard was a fast stream of muffled, useless badgering.

"But we won't stand for you ruining a good thing this year." Tilly continued. Her blue eyes were firm and unforgiving. Marlene and Amelia nodded in assent.

Tilly removed her hand from Lily's mouth and stood back. "I've got to go. Love you all." She kissed them sweetly on the cheek and began weaving her way back down the moving staircases.

Lily rounded on Marlene and Amelia. "Will you all stop treating me like I'm a fragile bird in love that will fall apart?" She snapped and curled her hands into fists, truly and horribly angry. Why, she thought furiously, did everyone think she was some sort of mental patient so sick in love-which she wasn't-that she could barely walk straight!

"We aren't Lily, but how do you expect us to behave when we had to deal with you last year?" Marlene said quietly.

That shut Lily up. Unbidden, the guilt of blaming James and of her actions last year overcame her. She sighed deeply, shoulders hunching in momentary defeat. She was so very tired and wished silently that she could undo all that had happened in the past twelve months.

"I'm sorry." Lily muttered, holding out her hand to Amelia. "You're all right." Sometimes it was best to admit defeat and let someone else take the reins.

She let Amelia pull her along towards the Fat Lady.

"You should still ask James." Amelia concurred, glancing at Marlene for approval. "Just-"

"Don't go berserk. He's in love with you, the poor lad." Marlene cut in.

The trio reached the Fat Lady, who was thoroughly haughty and sporting a red dress.

"Password," She trilled, looking down her nose at them.

"Bollocks!" Marlene ranted, stomping her foot. They had forgotten to retrieve the password to gain entrance into the Gryffindor common room.

"Unfortunately, you are incorrect." The Fat Lady chided.

"It's Babbity Rabbity."

The three girls turned to find Dorcas Meadowes walking towards them. She was a waif of a girl, yet the brightest witch in their class, notorious for her temper and wicked dueling. Lily, Amelia, and Marlene, although not very close with Dorcas, considered her a dear friend, and they asked how her summer was while walking together through the newly opened portrait hole.

Gryffindor common room welcomed the quartet with a roaring fire and cushy arm chairs. Frank Longbottom and Alice Adair, Head Boy and Girl, were instructing the small group of first years on the Gryffindor dorms. Almost the rest of the house had dispersed to their rooms, but James, Remus, Severus, and Gideon were sprawled on the armchairs and sofas by the fire. All four boys turned at the appearance of the four girls, and against her will Lily felt herself flush.

She had to ask him, Lily knew. It was imperative to her. Although she would likely never be friends with Severus again, she still cared for his wellbeing. If she found out that James Potter, the boy who made her question her sanity, had hurt him, she would find a way to make him pay.

Lily walked up behind the sofa where Remus and Lupin sat. They looked up at her as she leaned over, hair falling in a curtain around her oval face. In the light from the fire her eyes glowed ethereally.

"Can I talk to you, Potter?" She asked, trying her best to keep her voice casual. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sirius and Remus turn slowly to James. He sat with his legs slung over the side of a red armchair. Half of his face was turned away from the fire and hidden in shadow, but the rest of his expression was clear. His blue eyes held hers with an electric ferocity.

"Wish I had someone look at me like that." Muttered Marlene. Both Sirius and Amelia snickered.

"Of course Evans. Anything for you." James replied after a moment of consideration. "Would you like to chat on my lap? Or maybe in my dorm room?"

"In the corner will work perfectly, although your offers are tempting." Lily smiled, ignoring the fact they that were indeed very tempting. James shrugged and swung his legs off the chair, following Lily to the farthest corner of the room. She watched Amelia and Marlene settle in with the boys, chatting amiably. Dorcas and the first year had vanished up their intended staircases. She never was one for small talk.

They stood close together so they couldn't be overheard, but it was apparent that they were thinking identical thoughts. Both took half a step back, creating as much space between them as possible. James shoved his hands inside his pockets and waited for her to speak.

Lily, suddenly aware of just how tall he had grown over the summer and how defined his jawline had become, cleared her throat. "I don't want you to think I'm accusing you, Potter." She began. "But I have to know for the sake of my morality."

James didn't say a word. She pressed on, nails biting into her palm. "I know quite a lot happened last year, and neither of us handled it well. I'm not condoning what he did, or what I did, but I just need-"

"I didn't hurt him, Evans." James interrupted. His voice was low, and his handsome face suddenly appeared much older. Lily realized with a jolt just how tired and worn he looked, and wondered what happened to cause this transformation. It bothered her that she cared so much.

"I didn't say you did, I simply-"

"Evans." His voice was sharp. "As much as I dislike him, whoever did this to Sniv…Snape, had much more than a simple grudge riding on his or her back. I was just as shocked as you were when he walked through that door." He sighed and ran a hand through his untidy hair. "I don't have an answer for you."

Lily crossed her arms and bit her lip, a nasty habit. She looked in the direction of the chatting group and was suddenly thankful they were all relatively good friends. Loneliness, Lily knew, was the worst torture of all.

"What about Peter? Do you think he might've done it?" She asked. James shook his head.

"We don't know where he vanished to, but I wouldn't be worried. Peter isn't the smartest, but he's not dumb either. He wouldn't try and take on Snape without us there." At Lily's expression he held up his hands and smiled, weariness gone. "Not that I would hurt him like that."

"Alright…" Lily said, uncrossing her arms. She was still perplexed and worried, unsure how to approaching secretly helping Severus. If she could find out who hurt him, she could report them. Or, she thought, exact justice on her own.

James studied her silently, and unexpectedly raised his hand, as if he were about to caress her cheek. Lily froze, heart suddenly skipping too many beats, and watched his expression flicker between sadness and regret.

The moment, thick with unspoken fears, shattered when the portrait door opened. Peter stumbled through the entrance, red faced and breathing hard.

"Good lord!" He heaved. "I had to go run and find McGonagall to get the password. Who the hell choose Babbity Rabbity? Are they unaware that we aren't five year old gits anymore?"

He stopped in the middle of the room, noticing the heavy silence. Sirius twisted in his seat to stare at Peter's sweaty form and Lily's teeth were set on edge.

"Where were you at the feast, Peter?" Remus asked quietly, doing his best to hide the doubt in his voice and expression.

Peter looked around, brow furrowed in confusion. "Did you not hear me when we got to the Entrance Hall? I dropped my wand somewhere between the carriage and the train station and had to go all the way back to Hogsmeade. I told you three." He motioned to Sirius, Remus, and James, who looked at one another.

"I don't remember you saying anything." James said, silently relived that Peter had a believable alibi. "We sat down at the table and you weren't there."

Peter, now upset at his friend's accusatory expressions, shook his head. "Then you didn't hear me. You know how long of a walk it is. I didn't even have a light! It took me a while to get there and back."

"Did you find it?" Sirius asked, almost amused. Peter nodded.

"Why does everyone look so grim?"

"Severus was attacked tonight, Peter, and we thought you might've done it." Lily replied honestly. She had taken a step away from James and crossed her arms once again.

Peter's faced darkened, and he shoved his hands deep inside his pockets. "No that can't be true." He said firmly, meeting everyone's eye. "I saw him with Dolohov, Fenwick, and Rosier when we got out of the carriages." The room glanced at one another in turn.

"So how did he get to be such a mess," mused Gideon, "and who did it?"

"Well," came a dark, gravelly voice from the portrait hole. Everyone turned.

"That would be me."