Chapter 26
I couldn’t help but feel giddy later that evening, sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall as everyone ate. Neither Draco, Snape or Dumbledore were in the Great Hall though, but I tried not to mind. I’d find out what the plan was soon enough.
“L- Lily, did you here what I said?” A voice asked, and looking over to my left, I saw Ginny raising an eyebrow at me. Blinking, I nodded once.
“What? Oh yeah, yeah, it was fascinating..”
“You weren’t listening, were you?”
“Sorry?” I asked weakly, and I heard Neville chuckle from where he was sitting from across us. Sticking my tongue out at him I turned back to Ginny.
“Really, what were you talking about?”
“Dumbledore’s missing- So is Draco.”
“Maybe Dumbledore kicked him out.” Ron suggested, cheerily. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head at him. How daft can you honestly be?
“I don’t think so, Ronald. Dumbledore wouldn’t kick him out.” Hermione said knowingly, sighing. I nodded in agreement, picking at my food. Ever since we- we being Snape and I- had found out that there wouldn’t be anymore attempts on my life for awhile, I was able to eat whatever I wanted wherever I wanted.
Freedom was nice.
“Well, one can hope.” I heard Harry grumble from a few seats away, and sighing, I stood up.
“I’m gonna head back up to the Common room, I need to get some homework done.” I sighed, pulling my bag over my shoulder before escaping out of the Great Hall, walking back out into the empty hallways, humming as I walked.
For some reason my thoughts settled on my two old best friends, Sydney and Avril. The girls had been complete opposites, yet closer than anything I had ever seen. Truthfully, I missed them. I couldn’t help but wonder how they were doing.
Oddly enough I still hadn’t come to terms with the fact that in my old life, I was dead. That I could never go back. That I would be here for awhile.
Awhile meaning forever, of course.
I can’t say that I minded a whole lot though. I had family, friends. Even my dog. For lack of better words, everything was going great.
And, if all turned right in the end, I knew that whatever happened was gonna be totally awesome.
~~
I sat in divination class patiently that day, studying the pictures and meanings that were written down in the small book that was required for the class. I never took it seriously, but it was a fun class, one where there was hardly any homework, and if there was it took about two seconds to do.
Technically I was supposed to be studying the crystal ball that sat in front of me, and it was full of...fog.
Lovely, boring, white fog.
“AND you shall see in the future-” Trelawney continued her dramatic lecture, earning a few snickers from the class. Rolling my eyes, I closed my book, resting my chin on my arms as I looked at the crystal ball. The fog was swirling slightly, and something clicked, as I watched, entranced.
It started to create shapes, some I was unable to distinguish, but others as clear as day. I saw my father’s face swirling in the glass with a look of horror, his glasses askew on his face. A flash- I couldn’t tell what color, it was too quick- flashed, and the face disappeared into the fog, though shivers ran down my spine. It was clear now, as a liquid-like version of the fog floated from where my father had disappeared.All too clear.
“Professor!” I said, standing up in my chair. My voice was a few octaves higher than it normally was, and I could feel my hands shaking. Professor Trelawney’s head snapped towards me, her eyes even wider than usual.
“My dear girl! Have you seen-” She started, but I cut her off.
“I need to go see the Headmaster. Now.” I said, the urgency in my voice desperate. Trelawney nodded.
“You may go.” She said quickly, and nodding gratefully I grabbed my bag and ran out of the room as fast as possible, skipping as many as four steps at a time as I ran down the stairs, my father’s face and the flash the fog had made seemed to be burned into my mind.
Racing down the hallways, I stumbled through pacs of students who were leaving and entering classes, all yelping in surprise as I ran past them down the hallways.
“Excuse me- I’ve got to get to the Headmaster’s office-” I chirped apologies and excuses quickly before finally making it the statue that lead to the headmaster’s office.
“Password?” It asked tonelessly, and I groaned, cursing myself. I had been told the password, it had something like coffee.... mochas, frappes, coffee.... oh! Duh.
“Toffee.” I answered quickly, and the gargoyle nodded before moving aside to reveal the stairs, which I climbed on, waiting impatiently for it to move all the way up. I hummed softly to myself until it arrived, and taking a small breath I stepped inside. Dumbledore sat at the desk in his office, writing.
“Professor?” I asked hesitantly when he looked up at me in surprise.
“Lily! What ever are you doing here, child? I thought you were in Divination.”
“I know! I am- I was. But Professor, I saw something.”
At this he straightened up. “Ah.. Why not you sit down?”
So I did. And I explained what I had seen, my father’s face in the ball, the flash- I could identify it as green now- and the liquid fog. It was all clear.
Someone was going to murder my father. And if they murdered my father....
I would never be born.
Dumbledore looked disturbed, his usually calm and collected expression replaced with that of sheer concern and worry.
“He will need to be protected by the Order.” He said after a moment, and my mouth fell open.
“Albus, are you sure? I mean, this is my father. He’s probably all the way in America- they shouldn’t be able to find him.”
“Lily,” Dumbledore started softly, “If Voldemort wants your father dead, he will go however far he has to to see that happen. And if you did see a prophecy, then there is no doubt in my mind that events will come together that will bring your father back to London.”
“Oh bloody hell..” I groaned, sinking back into my chair. Dumbledore smiled sadly.
“I will alert the Order members. As for you, in the meantime, I can see you are startled. I suggest you go find Severus, maybe make a calming potion?” He suggested, and sighing, I nodded.
“Very well Professor.”
“Good girl, Lily. I will talk to you later.” He promised as I left the office, feeling down.
~~
“So you believe they’re going to go after Jacob?” Snape asked as he stirred the ingrediants in the cauldron into what would be a calming potion for me. Resting my chin on my crossed arms, I nodded.
“I saw it. In Divination.”
“Wonderful.” Snape commented dryly, and I glared up at him from where I was leaning against the desk.
“Why are you so sarcastic?”
“Wh- Beg your pardon?”
“You heard me.” I snickered slightly, and Snape rolled his eyes.
“It’s part of my personality.” He said after a moment, and this time I rolled my eyes.
“Oh, that answers everything.”
“Do you want this potion or not?” Snape sighed, and I nodded.
“Yeah, yeah..”
“Then I suggest you shut your mouth.” He said sternly, sending me a pointed look as I retracted my tongue from when I had stuck it out at him.
“Speaking of keeping your mouth shut, Albus told me about you and Draco..” He started, and I groaned. I wasn’t seriously going to get a talk about guys from Severus Snape, was I?
“Did he?” I asked nonchalantly, and Snape rolled his eyes.
“I don’t want you rushing into anything, young lady.” He said sternly, and I groaned. Looks like I was. “He may have joined the Order, but that does not mean you two will automatically get back together.”
“But Sev-”
“No buts. You’re to young to date, anyways.”
“Sev! Come on! I’m sixteen!I dated him when i was fifteen!”
“Yes, you did. You shouldn’t have.”
“Oh hell..”
“Yes, yes it was. Do you want your potion now or not?”
“Yes sir.” I said haughtily as he handed me the goblet, and sighing I took a sip of the warm liquid, a calm feeling washing over me. I could easily see how people could become addicted to these.
“Good?” Snape asked, and I nodded once in response before I smirked slightly, snickering.
“Always.”