24 Hours

By: Shichan Goddess

Hour 1: Hour of Awakenings

"When Love is suppressed, Hate takes its place." Havelock Ellis (1859-1939)

"Argh…" Lily Evans groaned as she touched a slim hand to her throbbing forehead. Emerald eyes assessed her drab surroundings. She was in a cell, and a rather medieval one at that. It was damp and dark, crawling with rats and other unmentionables that Lily had no intention of dwelling upon. The witch sat up, pushing a fiery red lock of hair out of her face.

Her eyes fell upon the two cots squeezed into the tiny cell. Lily's eyebrows rose in utter astonishment as she noticed yet another body huddled over itself in a corner. She got to her feet, slightly dizzy, and made her way over to the other side of the room.

"Sir? Excuse me, sir? Are you all right?"

"Finally noticed me did you, Evans? How terribly unobservant for an elite Auror." The figure pushed up against the wall, face shadowed.

Startled, Lily took a few steps back and scowled. "And who, pray tell, are you?"

There was a weak chuckle, and the figure moved into the dim light. "Really, Evans, after all we've been through together, I really rather thought you would have remembered my voice."

Lily's lips pulled back into a sneer of disgust. "Oh it's you, Potter. How could I ever forget your voice? It still haunts me in my dreams."

"Friendly as ever, eh, Evans?"

"Only to you."

James Potter sighed, and meandered over to where Lily was resting against the wall. She glanced at him warily, and scooted a bit to the side.

"Oh for Merlin's sake Evans, I'm not going to hex you!"

"You never know."

James shook his head irritably, his messy locks flying. He sank to the hard floor, and after a moment's hesitation Lily followed. She was careful to stay a decent distance away, however, and James heaved another moan of disgust.

"Honestly, treating me as if I have the bloody plague or something," James muttered to himself.

"I'm afraid your frightfully wonderful personality and limited mental capacities will infect me."

"Shut up, Evans," He turned to address her. "Now…do you remember what happened? I'm drawing a blank. Deatheaters…and then, nothing."

"And here I thought you wanted me to shut up."

"Out with it Evans!"

Lily sighed melodramatically. "Well, if you insist…Actually, I don't remember much either."

"Great. Just bloody great."

"Potter! There is a lady present!"

"Where?"

A slap resounded through the room. "Ow, Evans!"

"Can't take it, Potter?"

They fell into silence for a few minutes, and Lily shivered as the cold penetrated her robes. Now that there was only Potter's breathing matched with her own, she swore she could hear the pitter-patter of rats scurrying about. She shuddered at the very thought of one of them creeping atop her while she slept.

"Cold, Evans?" James' slightly mocking voice floated over to her.

"No." Lily said stubbornly, cursing the man's perceptiveness silently.

A frosty, stony silence fell, and Lily grimly realized that this arrangement was provocatively designed before she drifted off to a slight doze.

A/N: Waves Hello there! Shichan here. I'm sorry if this chapter seems a little short and abrupt, but honestly, it's only their first hour. I promise that the next chapter will be more interesting! (And longer) Please review! Ja!