Cloak Revealed

Chapter II - Beneath The Veil

Ophelia_lane

Lily stood with her back against the wall, knowing that James was still on the other side, probably wondering where she had gone. He was sorry that he saved me. Why would he say that? His words echoed around her head as she made her way up the cold staircase, which lead to the Griffyndor corridor. She crept into the dark dorm room and into her cold bed. She eventually drifted into a fitful sleep, only to wake up late for class, and hungry.

She groaned and got out of bed. Quickly dressing, she made her way out of the room and ran down to the Charms classroom. She crossed her fingers that they would be doing something practical, and not be silent when she arrived late. Looking through the glass in the door she thanked the heavens; everyone was busy practicing last lesson's spell, so she slipped in almost unnoticed. After explaining to the professor why she was late, she took her seat by the window and got out her wand. She performed the spell, which she had perfected almost two years ago, and then got out a book on advanced charms.

She kept her eyes down the whole lesson, not willing herself to look around for James. She had expected someone to say something - surely he had boasted about saving her to someone already - but nobody even looked her way. Maybe he had really meant what he said, she was so insignificant to him that even saving her life wasn't important to him.

But James did see her walk in. He had been looking out for her all day, and was worried when she wasn't there when class began. He had smiled her way many a time, but she had never looked up. He had seen her perform the charm that they were all struggling with as easy as Lumos. Then she had settled down to some heavy-duty advanced book. How had he never noticed her before? She must be extremely clever to be reading something like that, and to have just produced the spell like it was nothing. Surely he would have noticed her before now. Why had it taken a failed suicide attempt to show her before him? He had clearly been blind.

"James!" He turned around to see Sirius smirking.

"What?" he asked, wondering what he had been doing.

"Why were you staring at what's-her-face?" he asked, casually flicking his wand in the direction of Lily.

"I wasn't, I was staring out of the window. Wishing I was out there, rather than stuck in here practicing stupid charms," he said. Sirius's smirk turned into a grin.

"Me too mate, me too." He turned back to Peter who he was trying to get to turn Misty Mangle's hair blue by telling him the wrong spell. James was going to try and catch Lily as they left class, to see if she was okay, but when he tried to find her, she had already disappeared. How does she do that? Maybe she has an invisibility cloak too, he thought.

Lily sat down by the lake. It was the first day of real warm sunshine and luckily for the students it was a Saturday, so nearly the whole school were making the most of it and were sitting outside.

Lily had decided to bring a book and to read under a large willow tree, sheltered from the breeze and from the other students. It was on the far side of the lake and it took a while to walk around to it. Most of the students congregated around the shore on the other side, closer to the castle, but Lily liked the quiet. Voices sometimes carried across the water, but mostly it was silent, only the sound of the water and wind through the trees.

She had brought with her, for once not a school book, but Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. She had also brought her notebook and pen in case she wanted to do any writing. She had conjured up a large woollen blanket and was lying on her front, reading, when a noise from behind startled her. She instinctively reached for her wand and pointed it in the direction of the sound. To her surprise, James was stooping under the willow leaves; he looked at her and grinned.

"Hey! This is awesome. I have never come this far around the lake, it's so quiet!" Lily was too shocked to reply, but looked behind him waiting for the other Marauders to appear.

"Oh, I am by myself," James explained, seeing where she was looking, "I left them to a particularly hard game of wizard's chess."

"I...I can go if you like," she said, wondering why he didn't seem surprised to see her.

"Go? Oh. I mean you can if you want, but I don't want you to." James sat down on the rug next to her.

"Oh...okay." She looked away, not really knowing what to say or why he was here.

"I saw you walking this way and I thought maybe you'd like some company. Hey, I never saw you carrying all this though. It must weigh a ton. It looks expensive too!" he said lifting a corner of the rug.

Lily smiled. "It cost nothing. It used to be a tissue. I just transfigured it," she explained, blushing slightly. In her head she was thinking, 'He had seen me? But no one ever sees me.'

"Really? Wow, that's awesome. I'd be lucky if I got a hand towel!" He smiled and she reluctantly smiled back.

"So is this where you and your friends hang out?" he asked, gesturing to the tree and the pretty view of the lake. Lily looked away to hide her red cheeks. Was he mocking her?

"No, I come here alone," she muttered. She waited for him to laugh, or tease her about having no friends.

"That must be great. I wish I had somewhere to be alone." Lily could tell from his tone that he really meant it.

"Well no one ever comes this far, except me. I've come here since first year." She immediately kicked herself. He would think she was flirting or something. Why was she so stupid?

"Really? Then maybe I'll start coming here more often," he replied, once again proving her thoughts to be totally wrong. They sat in silence for a while; the only sound the wind through the trees and the occasional bird. Lily started to panic, wondering who was meant to talk next. She had had so few conversations that she just didn't even know how it worked. James spoke first.

"How are you Lily?" He turned and looked right into her eyes. It was such a loaded question that she found herself choking up. No one had ever asked how she was.

"Fine," she muttered, but found it hard to keep tears from her eyes.

"Look, I don't know why you did it. And maybe you are angry with me for stopping you, but how could I not? I mean you don't have to talk to me, but talk to someone. I mean have you told your friends? Or what about Dumbledore? He will understand. But if you'll let me, I want to help. I mean I don't know how much help I can be, I don't really understand...but I'll try. If you want." There were no signs of laughter on his face, he seemed deadly serious. Only Lily had no idea what he was being serious about.

"James..." Actually saying his voice out loud seemed foreign. "James, I don't understand."

"I know. I know it must be so confusing, I mean I don't get it at all, but maybe if you talk it out then it will make sense, and something can be done."

"No James, I don't understand what you mean."

"For Gods sake Lily! You jumped off a bloody building what's not to understand?" he shouted. She recoiled at his words. The frustration left his face and his eyes grew large.

"God, I'm so sorry. I'm so stupid. I just want to help that's all." He looked away, down at the water.

He must think I am a looney. She thought, a little amused at the mistake. He thinks I tried to commit suicide. A smile crept onto her face.

When James looked back up, he looked confused.

"James...I didn't jump from the tower, I fell. I was sat by the edge, and I stood up and lost my balance. I didn't jump," she said in a soft voice. She knew that now she had explained he would leave pretty soon, now that she wasn't interesting anymore.

"You didn't?" He looked shocked, "But you...I...but..." then he started to laugh. "Oh God, I've been a prize idiot haven't I!" Lily shook her head, then wondered how many people he had told. How many people thought she was suicidal?

"You...you didn't tell anyone did you?" she asked avoiding his eye.

"Lily, I don't know who you think I am, but I'm not. I would never have said anything to anyone, unless I thought you were in danger. I mean give me some credit," he said. Lily blushed.

"I'm sorry."

"I mean, I didn't really think you'd want it spread around school."

"It wouldn't have mattered. No one would have known who I was," she said, unable to stop the thought from coming out.

"What?" He turned to face her again.

"Nothing. I've got to go. Now." She stood up quickly, grabbing her bag and walking hurriedly away before James could say anything. She carried on quickly up to the castle, glad that this time he hadn't followed her.