Lily Potter And The Secret Bewitchment

Chapter Twenty-Three - The Fight

They were the same, recurring, nightmares. Lily was focusing on exams, but every night she had a dream involving a death of someone she loved; and of the specific way in which it was her fault. Lily had started her research after three nights of this, as it surely wouldn't make the dreams worse. Sleep was scarce, what with these images in her head and exam revision until who-knows-when at night. Lessons were devoted to perfecting spells and memorising incantations. Everyone was stressed, and the girls in Lily's dorm were especially crabby. Jayla and Milly, either side of Lily, kept getting woken by her gasps as she awoke from another nightmare. Tempers seemed to be running high everywhere Lily looked. The final straw came when Lily screamed after watching herself killing her two brothers. She sat bolt upright, gasping; and saw five faces staring at her. Jayla looked straight into her eyes, and Lily knew Jayla was reading her mind and seeing the dream.

"Sorry girls. Bad dreams." Lily muttered. They grumbled inaudible words and all fell asleep.

When Lily awoke in the morning, Jayla and Hugo were waiting for her.

"Hey guys." Lily said. "Are we going to breakfast?"

"Lils, are you sure you shouldn't report your dreams to someone? They're blackmailing you." Hugo said.

"I can't report them. I can't worry Auntie Hermione and Dad about it." Lily said, frowning.

"But it's disturbing your sleep, and ours. The girls want to ask you to leave the dormitory." Jayla said, and Lily felt a stab of anger.

"Oh, they do, do they? And have you been having a nice little chat behind my back?"

"No, actually!" Jayla was clearly getting riled up also. "I can read minds, in case you didn't remember!"

"Girls-" Hugo began as Lily opened her mouth to retort.

"Shut it, Hugo." They snapped, in unison.

"It's clear you want me out of the dormitory as well, you know, Jayla." Lily said harshly.

"Well, we are trying to sleep, you know." The other replied, outraging Lily.

"What do you suggest I do?"

"Go to a professor! But you won't because you're selfish and you're proud!" Jayla said, shrilly. Hugo was backing out of the room and towards the portrait hole.

"Selfish?" Lily laughed incredulously. "How am I selfish?"

"They're threatening to target us! And your family! I thought you cared more than this, Lily Potter." Lily felt a number shock through her bones.

"I can't believe you'd say that. I thought you understood because you'd seen the dreams." Before Jayla could reply, Lily had turned her back and swept out of the common room; furious and very hurt.

Lily skipped breakfast, being so late, and headed straight to transfiguration. She sat between George and Oli, and refused to answer their questions as to where she had been. Lily spent break and lunch in the library, alone. The rest of her week was isolated. Her dreams had stopped, for now, which she supposed was purely because she was so upset and stressed already. On Thursday, the day after the incident, Hugo approached Lily in the library.

"Hey Lils." He said, clearly attempting to sound casual.

"Hugo. I'm very busy, so please make it quick."

"Lily, please come back. Me and the boys want you to be there. We're persuading Jayla." Hugo begged.

"It's safer if I stay away. Better." Lily said, trying to smile but failing.

"Better for who, Lils? You're miserable, I can tell."

"I'm sorry, Hugo. I'm busy now." Lily said firmly.