A/N: Sadly, the characters are not mine. However, after JKR decided to kill every Marauder, Dobby, and Fred, I have revoked her right to these characters, and claimed them as my own. Yeah! That'll teach her not to kill off all of my favorites.
Well. On to the story!
"And then he walked right up to the giant squid, and tried to give it a hug!" Alice exclaimed, gesturing violently with her hands as she recounted the marauder's latest adventure.
"That Black," Frank shook his head. "He's got guts. I'll give him that."
Lily snorted at that. "Yeah, but he's got no brains." she looked reproachful as Alice sighed.
"Lily, they're not as bad as you think. Maybe if you just got to know them.." she trailed off, looking at her boyfriend for support.
"Alice is right, Lily." Frank began, "I've shared a room with them for five full years. They're decent blokes, once you get to know them." He shrugged.
Lily looked at him in amazement. "Are you daft? They're idiots! They're mean, and repulsive, and just flat out stupid!"
Alice smirked slightly, "Even Remus?"
Lily paused. "No.. Not Remus. But look at Black! In the hospital wing again, and for what? Trying to convince the giant squid to wear a dress for class photos!"
"Actually," Alice inturrupted, "I think they wanted it in a tu-tu."
Frank chuckled. "That would explain why it got so angry."
Lily huffed. "I refuse to believe that there is a decent bone in any of them. I don't know what Remus sees in them! And Peter, too! He could be a great guy if he'd just stop with the stupid practical jokes!"
Alice sighed, raising her hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. You win." She laughed for a second as Frank coughed what sounded an awful lot like 'again'.
Lily glared, opening her mouth for a second round of verbal sparring, when Frank quickly intervened,
"So, how about that Christmas break?"
"Smooth." Alice grinned at him
Lily gave a half laugh at his lousy attempt to be subtle. "I'm just staying here this year. Gotta get ahead for next year and all that."
Alice sighed. "Lily darling! There are far more important things in life!" this being said, she gave Frank a peck on the lips, making the tips of his ears turn red.
"Very funny, Alice." Lily smiled, "but you know I don't want a boyfriend."
"Fine, a girlfriend then!" Alice yelled dramatically, throwing her hands into the air. "I don't care! Just have a stupid wedding so I can be your maid of honor! Girl, Guy, Centuar.. Anything! You can marry the giant squid for all I care! Just let there be frills and cake and dancing!" She proceeded to hum and waltz around the group, immitating the dancing she wanted.
"Actually," started Frank with a grin, "the giant squid clearly doesn't like frills. I'd go with one of the more human options. Much less life-threatening." Lily laughed, pushing both of her tormentors playfully.
"Alice, you're awful! Frank, stop encouraging her!"
Alice collapsed in a fit of giggles as Frank gave a mock salute.
Lily stood there, rolling her eyes."Why in the world do I put up with you two?"
"Because you love us!" exclaimed Alice as she and Frank draped an arm over each of Lily's shoulders.
"Because we're wonderful!" shouted Frank exuberantly, in her ear.
Lily laughed at her friends, thanking her lucky stars that she had them. "So, what are you two doing for Christmas?"
Frank and Alice both sobered up a bit. "Well.. Uhh.." began Frank.
"Someone," Alice gave a pointed look at her boyfriend, "let slip that we've been dating for a while. So his parents have demanded to meet me." she sighed.
"And in the process of asking her parents if she could spend a few days with my family, her family found out about me. So I have to do a meet and greet, as well." Frank looked slightly green as he said this.
Alice smiled sweetly at him. "Payback, my dear. Payback." Frank grumbled as they continued down the hall.
"Sounds like fun!" Lily grinned. "Does he know about your brothers' tests?"
"Tests?" yelped Frank, looking at Alice with a panicked expression.
"Umm... No." She replied to Lily, "I hadn't.. Gotten to that. Thanks so much."
She patted Frank on the arm. "It'll be fine, dear. Don't worry about it."
"Lily!" yelled a voice from behind them. They all turned to see Severus Snape running towards them, robes billowing in the wind. Lily's expression hardened.
"What do you want, Severus?"
He stopped as he caught up to them, pausing to catch his breath. "I just wanted, to talk to you." he panted.
She eyed him distrustfully, looking to her companions for their advice. They both shook their heads no, but remained quiet.
Lily sighed, her heart heavy. "Why should I?"
"Because," he paused, a sorrowful look on his face. "I just wanted a chance to talk. Please."
Lily turned to Alice and Frank. "I'll catch up with you guys, alright?". They looked disapproving, but nodded.
"We'll be around, okay Lily?" Frank said gently, wrapping an arm around Alice's shoulder.
She nodded, and watched as they began walking towards the library.
"Walk with me?" Severus asked, gesturing down a hall she wasn't familiar with.
She nodded, her feet moving of their own accord. "Sure." They walked a few minutes in silence before he finally broke it.
"I'm sorry."
He didn't look up from the ground. She watched him carefully, noticing his slight limp, the way his face looked older that ever before.
"I know."
It was all she could say.
He looked at her hopelessly. "I miss you, Lily. I want to be friends again."
She sighed, the weight of his betrayal still heavy on her mind. "Sev.." she began, not knowing where to start. "We-"
A cold voice interrupted her. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" the color drained out of Severus Snape's face as he realized they had been cornered by Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black.
"Lucius.." he began, stepping between Lily and the two seventh years.
"Severus. I can see that our little, " he paused to smirk at Lily, "chat, didn't seem to get through to you."
Severus set his jaw as he took another step forward, positioning himself directly in front of Lily. "She's harmless. Leave her alone. You promised, Malfoy."
Lucius smiled, pulling out his wand. "I remember no such promise. He turned the the girl at his side. "Do you recall any promise?" she shook her head, grinning darkly as she too pulled out her wand.
"Lily," said Snape as he grabbed his wand. "Run."
"CRUCIO!" bellowed Lucius
"SECTUMSEMPRA !" Severus snapped with a twitch of his wand.
The statue behind the tall blonde boy shattered as screams echoed through the hallways.
"Leave him alone!" Lily shouted as she pulled out her wand.
"I don't think so, dear." said Narcissa, waving her wand. "Petrificus Totalus!"
Lily froze against her will, eyes darting back and forth in a panic.
"You see," Narcissa began, pausing to grin as an extra loud scream pierced the air, "You are the cause of all this dear boy's," she paused, smiling deliciously as she found the proper word. "Agony."
Severus fell to his knees as Lucius dropped the curse. "Not.. true, Lily." He panted, tearstains on his face.
Lucius sighed. "Such a waste.. I'll deal with you later.". With a flick of his wand a bright red light hit the kneeling boy, throwing him into the stone wall.
With a wave of his wand, Lily was unfrozen, her wand flying to his hand.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" he asked her.
She glared at him, eyes full of hatred. Narcissa kicked her in the back of the knees, forcing her to the ground.
"How about now, mudblood? Do you have anything to say now?"
Lily muttered something, eyes still burning with fury. He grabbed her hair, forcing her head up to his.
"What did you say?" he hissed, spit flying in her face.
She stared him full on, then in a strong voice replied, "I said, 'Go to hell."
He threw her back onto the ground, yelling "CRUCIO!". Her shrieks of pain and his laughter bounced along the halls. Narcissa began kicking the writhing girl for good measure. After a few minutes, Lucius put his wand down, stilling his eager girlfriend. Squatting down beside Lily's head, he paused to smirk at her bloodied, shaking form.
"This is what people like you deserve."
She glared at him, then spit in his face.
He jumped up, enraged, and kicked at her collarbone, a satisfactory 'snap!' reaching his ears as he wiped the spit from his eyes.
"That is not how people of your heritage should act. I think she needs a little lesson in submission, don't you agree, Cissy?"
Narcissa nodded, the excitement plain on her face. "Yes! Oh, the things we could do to the stupid little wench.." she began pacing around Lily, imagining all the horrid things she could do to her.
"Lily!"
Lucius' head snapped around at the sound of the marauder's voice. "Ah, Potter.. And Sirius Black," he sneered. "Long time, no see." The two marauders glared at him, wands ready.
"What do you think you're doing, Malfoy?" asked James, fury clear on his face.
Lucius waved his hand with a laugh. "We're simply.. Cleaning up, " He sent another crucio at the bloodied girl on the floor, then continued. "Surely purebloods such as yourselves would understand." With this both he and Narcissa hit Lily with curses, his a dark orange, hers a sick yellow.
The two black-haired boys watched in horror as the red head made a gasping noise, her chest rising into the air, then hitting the ground with a dull, hollow thud.
"STUPIFY!" they roared together, aiming for Malfoy. Narcissa ran down the hall, satisfied with her work. Malfoy ducked under their spells, firing curses the boys had never heard of. One hit the wall behind them, and James was crushed under the resulting rocks. A scarlet burst hit Sirius in the leg, and it snapped with an awful pop. James, freeing himself of the stone and seeing his friend go down, gave up with his wand and punched Lucius in the face. Malfoy looked shocked, then quickly returned the favor, clipping James in the temple. Taking advantage of his enemy's temporary confusion, Lucius ran down the corridor after his girlfriend.
After a moment of trying to gain his bearings, James made his way to Sirius' side. "You okay, mate?"
Sirius' face was pallid, his jaw clenched. His pant leg was stained a dark sticky red, a bit of white bone showing here and there.
"Fine. Lily." he gasped, managing to look concerned through his pain.
James nodded, looking grim. He rushed to the redhead, fearing the worst.
"Lily? Lily.. Please be okay." he reached out to touch her, hesitating. He grabbed her hand, feeling broken fingers. It was deathly cold, and covered in blood. "Lily no.." he reached out to feel for her pulse when she whimpered. "Lily!" he whispered, relived she was alive. Her head turned slightly, her eyes open but unfocused.
"James?" she asked in a very weak voice. She sounded terrified.
"Shh," he comforted, awkwardly trying to find an unbroken spot on her frail form.
"Sirius!" James was happy to hear Remus' voice.
"What happened?" asked Peter worriedly, examining Sirius' leg.
"Lily." was all Sirius managed to croak out. Peter knelt, trying a few healing spells to stop the bleeding as Remus rushed over to Lily and James.
"What happened, Prongs?" he asked, checking the cut that was dripping blood down James' face.
James' winced, "Malfoy and his girlfriend were torturing Lily. Think we were too late." His hazel eyes were clouded in pain as he tried to remember healing spells.
Remus looked at Lily, used to seeing wounds like these on his friends. "These are dark spells. We need to get her to Madame Pomfrey." Remus carefully scooped her up, trying not to jostle her injuries. Peter darted over to James.
"I'm going to need some help. He needs potions, not spells. And Severus Snape is collapsed against the wall over there." he nodded toward the black-haired boy. "It looks like he's been crucioed too."
Remus looked at the boys, still very aware of the broken girl in his arms. "James, will you be okay to help them to the infirmary?
James nodded an affirmative. "We'll take care of him. Just get her to Poppy." Remus nodded grimly at the other boys before taking off as fast he could towards the hospital wing.
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"Oh Merlin!" exclaimed the healer in horror as Remus entered the infirmary. "What happened?" she asked in a panic, ushering him to a bed where he laid Lily down as gently as he could.
"Slytherins." He responded. "I don't know what she got hit with. The cruciatus, for certain, but past that.." he trailed off, looking worried.
Madame Pomfrey bustled around the girl's body, muttering to herself. It was at this moment that the others came in.
An unconsious Snape was in the middle, his arms slung around James' and Peter's shoulders. Sirius was using James as a crutch.
James' head was still bleeding, though not as profusely, and Peter had apparently found a pain relieving spell, as Sirius' face wasn't as pinched as it had been before.
"I want Mr. Black in this bed," ordered Pomfrey, pointing to the bed next to Lily's. "Mr. Potter, you can go sit in the bed next to his once you've gotten him situated. Put Mr. Snape on that bed over there." she gestured to the bed in question. Taking a moment to examine the other two boys, she began dabbing at the blood on James' face.
"Mr. Pettigrew," she said without looking up, "Am I correct in assuming that that is not your own blood on your hands?"
He nodded an affirmative, looking down as if seeing the blood for the first time. "Scorgify" he whispered, cleaning them off.
"Take a seat," the healer ordered, again without looking up from her work. "I want the whole story once these four are stabilized." She tsked, looking at the injured students. Conjuring a patronus, she told it, "Albus, you are needed in the infirmary wing at once.".
As the spectral bird flew away, Remus and Peter watched the witch bustle around, praying that everything would be alright.
A/N: And there we have it! Chapter one. Reviews are really appreciated, considering that I've never done a chapter story before!
This is looking like it's going to be about twenty chapters, but I won't be surprised at all if it goes longer than that.
Let me know what you want to see happen, too. Who knows.. Maybe I'll let you influence my story line. ;D
Please Review, it makes me smile, and smiles make the muse work faster!
-MissyMarauderette