Inevitable

Chapter Ten

The First Encounter

Of the thirty-six ways of avoiding disaster, running away is best- Anonymous

BANG!

Every person in a ten-metre radius of the stage was blasted into the air by some unknown, invisible force.

"James," Lily and Sirius said together.

They burst from the alcove with their wands pointed at the hooded figure they were to mark. He ducked into the now panicking crowd before they could curse him.

"Shit!" Sirius followed him into the mass of screaming people, leaving Lily not knowing what to do.

Curses were being thrown everywhere. Even those who had no idea what was happening were whipping out wands and staring around. People were falling, Lily could hear Unforgivable Curses being yelled. She was frozen in place, unsure of what to do.

Then she saw him. Quite suddenly, on the stage, he was there. Lily felt a wave of fear and anger, more intense than any hate or fear she had ever felt before. She just knew beyond any doubt that she felt more hatred toward this man - if you could call him a man - than should be humanly possible.

Lord Voldemort was tall and pale, with odd-looking eyes and a flat nose. He raised his wand in the air, triggering more desperate screams. He waved his wand almost casually at the DJ, who collapsed to the floor of the stage.

"Stupefy!" she cried, not thinking, pointing her wand at him. The jet of red light missed by centimetres, but it directed his attention towards her.

Voldemort pointed his wand in her direction, as if it was performing a chore, and Lily found herself being flung against the brick wall behind her. She slid down, the images in front of her sliding in and out of focus. She felt as though everything around her was spinning. She was on the ground, and couldn't see anything above people's waists.

Someone collapsed beside her, and she was jolted back into the reality of the situation. People were running, screaming, cursing. Lily knew what was going on, she had to do something.

Dizzily, she stood herself up, leaning against the wall, and focused on an unmoving sign until her eyes were working again. She gripped her wand and stepped from the wall. She could feel something trickling down the back of her neck, she wiped it with her hand, when she brought her hand in front of her eyes once more it was streaked with blood. Putting all her energy into staying alert, she made her way through the frantic mob.

Through the screaming people she could see three Death Eaters. They were walking towards something, their wands raised. Lily pushed through more people, trying to make herself taller so she could see. It was... it was Moody. He was dueling with yet another Death Eater, and those three were going to kill him! Not thinking about the amount of blood she was losing, not realising that she couldn't even see straight, Lily attacked.

"Stupefy!" she yelled, pointing her wand over a woman's shoulder. "Stupefy! Stupefy!" Two of her spells hit their target, but the other missed and hit a man in the behind. As two of the Death Eaters crumpled to the ground, the third turned in her direction, trying to find the source of the attack.

The Death Eater then raised his wand. In a deep voice, he cursed the woman in front of Lily.

"Crucio."

The woman collapsed on the ground. She screamed and withered, her limbs writhed. She was in so much pain, and for no apparent reason.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Lily shouted, aiming her wand at the third Death Eater. He went rigid and fell to the ground, leaving the woman limp on the road.

Lily crouched down beside the woman; she was hurt. Lily wanted more than anything to help her, but she didn't know what to do. Why was no one stopping to help? Why had Lily never bothered to learn any first aid? Where was everyone? In the rushing, panicking swarm of people, not one was helping those who were hurt. Why?

Standing and looking around, Lily saw no one that she knew. Moody and his Death Eater had disappeared, Voldemort had vanished from the stage, staying only long enough to kill a dozen people. The Alley was not half as crowded as it had been when Lily and her friends had arrived, but it seemed even more full as everyone ran. Where was everyone?

There! Some distance away, Lily saw someone she recognized. It was Garret, on the ground, unconscious.

"Garret!" she cried, running over and sliding on her knees. She put her hand to his neck, checking for a pulse. It took a minute, but she found one: a slow, steady pulse. She sighed with relief. "Enervate," she whispered, tapping him with her wand.

Garret stirred, blinking several times rapidly before registering anything. "Lily! I - what happened? Where is everyone?"

Lily helped him sit up, though a little voice in the back of her mind told her she should be fighting, and handed him the wand that was beside his foot.

"There was an attack," she explained. "It was like something exploded on the stage, and you - you must have been blasted back." She refrained from mentioning Voldemort. He could learn that later, from someone else.

BANG!

The ground exploded a few feet from them. A Death Eater had leapt on the stage in desperation and was cursing everything in sight. Moody, Frank Longbottom, Kingsley, James, and Remus were closing in on him slowly.

Garret was on his feet in seconds. Yanking out his wand, he made to join those surrounding the Death Eater. In desperation, knowing that James and Remus couldn't be caught fighting with other members in the Order, Lily collapsed into Garret, forcing him to turn and catch her.

I feel like such a stereotypical princess brat tonight - crying because I 'fought' with James, then I 'hurt myself', now 'too weak'! Ugh, I disgust myself.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Lily, you're bleeding horribly!"

"I'm fine," she said in a strained voice. As she stood, she grabbed Garret's shoulder, as if trying to support herself, although she was only trying to redirect his attention.

The Death Eater had Disapparated. Over Garret's head, Lily could see Moody swearing and Frank Longbottom stomped his foot - they thought they had had that one.

As soon as Remus and James had left the attacking formation, Lily suddenly regained her strength.

"I have to go," she said to Garret hurriedly. "I'll see you back at school."

Garret looked confused. "Lily, wait. Are you sure you don't need a Healer? You look pretty bad."

Lily smiled at his concern. "I'm fine, thanks. I need to find everyone."

She turned from Garret and looked around for James, Remus or Sirius. It felt odd, to be one person standing still and calm, while so many were rushing, panicking around her. Not far from her, Remus was not hard to spot - he was one of the other few not rushing to get away.

Lily weaved her way through the stampede towards him. People were bumping into her, and she was treading on countless toes as she pushed through. Her head was throbbing.

"Remus!" she called, and a particularly painful wave shot through her. "Where is everyone?"

"Lily," he said, as though surprised to see her, "I thought you'd left."

"What, and miss my first battle? I think not," she said, trying to make light of what had just occurred.

"Yeah, well..." Remus glanced around, trying to find the others. "D'you think we should just go to Sirius' and wait there? We need to get out of here!" he said.

"No," she replied. "We have to find them first."

Remus looked at her exasperatedly. Shaking his head, he jumped up to see over the heads of rushing, panicking people.

"There they are," he said, pointing to Lily's left.

They headed over in the direction Remus had pointed in, holding onto one another so that they wouldn't get separated.

James and Sirius were standing together, looking around as Lily and Remus had just been doing. Upon seeing them appear; James rushed over, pulling Lily against him protectively.

"I'm fine," she said, trying to reassure him and free herself.

Sirius and Remus began making rather comical "awwww" noises behind James' back.

"Sometimes," Sirius said to Remus, just loud enough for James to hear, "I wish Public Displays of Affection weren't so common with those two."

"Lily," James said suddenly, "you need a Healer! You're bleeding all over!"

Lily felt the back of her head once again, it was throbbing, it hurt to touch. She averted her eyes from James, not wanting to admit that maybe she needed help.

"Let's find Moody," Sirius said. "Maybe he can help."

"Yeah," Remus said. "He's with Frank and Alice and everyone."

"Let's go!" Sirius exclaimed, eager for a chance to be congratulated by the Aurors.

James glanced warily at Lily before taking her hand and following Sirius and Remus.

*

To describe Sirius' flat in one word was simple: mismatched. Nothing seemed to fit; the rooms were the wrong sizes (he had magically expanded some of them), the furniture was ridiculous (17^th century chairs beside beanbag chairs, and wooden tables he made himself) and it was unmistakably Sirius'. Everything seemed to scream, "Sirius Black lives here!" to anyone who passed through the door.

After deciding that it wouldn't be fair for someone to have the bedroom all to himself or herself, although Lily's argument of being the only girl almost won it for her, they decided to all sleep in the small living room. Everyone had a pillow and blanket, placing the pillows so that their heads were together, in a circle. Lily had James to her right and Remus to her left, with Sirius across from her.

They spent much of the next few hours discussing the fight, what had happened to each other, how they had dealt with it, and who they recognised as Death Eaters.

"Now I'm wondering," James said jokingly, lifting the depressing mood, "about something I saw between two people here; namely, Sirius and Lily. I must say that I felt betrayed, hurt, and a strange want to knock Sirius out. What exactly was that when she got back from sending Pat home, Sirius?"

"I confess," Sirius said in a mock declaration of guilt, "I'm in love with Lily."

"But does she return your feelings of undying love?" Remus inquired, attempting to sound noble.

"Oh, with all my heart," Lily said, trying not to giggle.

James animatedly brushed away an invisible tear. "I've been betrayed Remus, you're the only one here I can depend on."

"Well then," Remus said, shaking his head slowly, "I hate to tell you this mate, but I was in love with Lily last week."

"I'm just so irresistible," Lily laughed.

"Traitors!" James exclaimed, falling over as if he had been stabbed. "My best friends, going behind my back!"

"If it's any consolation," Lily said, narrowing her eyes as if in deep thought, "I think I love you best."

"Oh." James sat up, completely cured from being so betrayed. "That's okay then."

"Wow, you must have been deeply, deeply hurt." Sirius grinned.

"I was."

"You got over it so easily."

"Should I have taken months?"

"No. But I'm sure Lily would have felt more important if it had taken minutes."

"Maybe even thirty seconds."

"What's wrong with you? Can't even be upset for thirty seconds that your girlfriend's off with your best friend?"

"Former best friend."

"Ah - that's better."

"I hate you."

"Even better! We're really getting to the root of the problem - now that you're letting your true feelings out."

"My father wouldn't buy me a broomstick when I was four."

"Life-traumatizing, I'm sure it was."

"Oh yeah? My father disowned me."

"Now we're getting somewhere. Now tell us, how did that make you feel?"

"Sad."

"And the only way to make yourself feel better was to snog my girlfriend?"

"Yup."

"Now gentlemen, this is a violence-free mediated session. You can't resolve your problems if you refuse to talk about them like grown-ups."

Lily sat through this, an expression of confusion and mirth on her face. Their conversations were always interesting to listen to. They were random and comical, often not making any sense, but they always seemed to know what they were talking about.

"What should we do tomorrow?" Sirius asked, looking around the circle.

"I'm going home," Lily groaned.

"If you don't want to, you can stay here," Sirius said hopefully. "I'll be bored out of my mind all by myself."

"Thanks," she replied, "but I've got to go home. There's only a few more days of holidays, then we'll all be back at Hogwarts again."

"Hurray," James said sarcastically.

Remus made no comment for, as Lily and Sirius discovered after much tapping, he had fallen asleep.

"I suppose he's allowed to sleep," James said as they considered whether they would wake him or not. "He just fought a battle, he deserves rest."

"But not the rest of us..." Sirius grinned.

"Nope." Lily shook her head. "We did nothing heroic or difficult or draining, we don't get to sleep like the hero here."

They fell silent, each with their own thoughts. It was some time before they spoke again, and Sirius had also fallen asleep.

"James?" Lily said sleepily, not sure if he was awake.

"What?"

"I forgot to tell you before, when we get back to school, we're mad at each other." Lily bit her lip lightly, not sure of what his reaction would be.

"What!"

"Only way to get Pat to leave," she whispered.

"How would us being mad at each other make Pat leave?"

"I guess it's a girl thing."

"Okay," he said slowly, confused. "Riiight..."

"I couldn't think of anything else," she said apologetically.

They both fell silent, an uncomfortable quiet building.

Finally, James broke it. "Lily, you did good."

"You too," she replied. "You were really brave."

James reached out and took her hand, bringing it to his lips. "Is your head better?"

"Yeah. You okay?"

"I'm fine."

I wonder if his first raid was that awful? People... people died tonight. At least we're all fine, but some people's families and friends aren't. What would have happened if one of us hadn't survived? What would've happened?

"James," she whispered again.

"Lily," he replied.

"I know what I want to do."

"What do you mean?"

"When I've left Hogwarts. I want to be a Healer."

James appeared puzzled. "Why?"

"To help people," Lily explained. "In the Alley, there were so many people who were hurt, but no one was stopping. I didn't know how to help them, I want to know how."

"You'll make a great Healer."

"You'll make a great Auror."

"I hope so."

Lily grinned. "I really do love you best."

"I love you best too."

*

New Years Day dawned bright and early. Lily was the first to open her eyes, and it was a funny sight that she found. Sirius was spread-eagled on his back, with his mouth open. Remus had his head at what could only be a very uncomfortable angle. James must have rolled over in his sleep, and now had one arm positioned under him, guaranteeing that he would awaken to find the limb asleep.

They're all so peaceful and innocent, she thought jokingly to herself. I wonder how long it'll last... She giggled, watching the three boys.

By the time any of the others awoke, Lily had already dressed and fixed her hair. Under no circumstances were they to see the mess of curls she usually had in the mornings.

Remus rolled over onto his back, stretching his arms and apparently not caring that he hit Sirius. The blow woke Sirius quickly - he sat up and looked around instinctively.

Lily sat on one of the beanbag chairs, silently laughing at them.

"What," Sirius said through a yawn, "is so funny?"

"You two," she replied. "Not even fully awake yet and you're fighting."

"Yeah well," Remus muttered sleepily.

Lily left the boys to wake up, and she went to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. The coffee machine was highly unusual. It was make completely of brass, except for the glass pot. There were no buttons to push or filters to fill, only a series of levers going all around the back. Unsure what to do, Lily pulled one lever in experimentation. The machine began making a loud spluttering noise.

"Um... Sirius?" she called into the other room.

"Coffee or stove?" he asked, as though he'd been expecting it.

"Coffee."

"Second lever from the back for regular. Back for decafe, all the others are flavoured, except for two of them. I don't know what they do so I'd advise not to pull them."

"Thanks!" Lily pulled the second lever from the back. After another loud splutter, coffee began dripping down into the pot.

*

Lily had just Apparated into her room, no one was aware of her presence in the house yet. She took one, long look around, sighing.

I should have stayed with Sirius, she thought to herself. I don't belong here anymore. I never did.

She laughed out loud, remembering a time when she swore to herself that she would leave and find a place for herself; that was exactly what she had been doing for the past six years and four months.

"Just a few more days," she consoled herself.