fatal love

Chapter 57

It was late on a Friday night, and Lily had just been kicked out of the library by Madam Pince. Even Remus had abandoned her hours ago to go and enjoy the weekend with the rest of the Marauders (what an idiotic name, by the way) but she had stayed until it closed, revising for the end of year exams, which were starting next week.

She was determined to beat Sirius this year. He always came top of the year, and it was bloody unfair, because she never saw him doing any work, he could just write O-worthy essays in thirty minutes with no thought. Well, she could probably do that too if she'd had tutors in magic since she was a kid, if she'd even known magic had existed before she was eleven.

She'd been getting closer and closer to beating him every year, and she knew she could do it this time. So with exams around the corner, she'd been spending a lot of late nights at the library, making sure she was prepared for any question possible.

Now though, walking through the dark corridors alone, it felt unnerving. She knew she was probably being overly cautious, but muggleborns weren't exactly popular these days. She thought she heard some footsteps behind her, but when she looked around, no one was there.

Telling herself she was being stupid, she quickened her steps anyway. While walking, she dug through her bag for her wand, just in case, but just as her fingers closed around it, a voice behind her shouted "EXPELLIARMUS!"

The wand flew out of her grip. She whirled around, and Mulciber was standing a few feet away, grinning triumphantly. He was a huge boy, two years above her and stockily-built, the type of person she would cross the street to avoid if she was at home, just because of his aggressive demeanour.

She didn't say anything, there was nothing she could say that would do her any good. Her wand was scattered on the floor, having landed between them, but as soon as she went to grab it, he pointed his wand at her again.

"Incarcerous!" Thick ropes appeared around her wrists, locking her hands behind her back. She lost her footing, falling backwards onto the floor.

Her heart was beating a mile a minute. Mulciber was advancing on her slowly, grinning, and she knew now that this wasn't some typical fight between a muggleborn and a blood purist. He looked bloodthirsty.

He kept getting closer, and she kept shuffling backwards. If she could just reach her wand, she could defend herself, but it was somewhere behind her, and she didn't dare take her eyes off Mulciber.

"What do you want?" she asked, hating how her voice was trembling.

"I want my school back," he spat, and his voice was trembling too, but out of rage, not fear. "I want my world back."

She had no response. There was no response. Desperately, she tried to think of some way to de-escalate the situation, just to keep him calm until she could find her bloody wand, but it was no use.

He hit her with a Silencing Charm, and now she couldn't even call for help. Shit, she should have called for help as soon as he disarmed her. There must be some Prefects nearby. Or anyone.

He got even closer, bending down until he was close enough that she could have hit him if her hands were free. He slashed his wand through the air, and her school shirt was sliced open down the middle.

Lily opened her mouth, shouting and screaming at him, but now sound came out. Desperately, she swiped her wrists over the floor. Her wand, her wand, she needed her wand.

"Obusto," Mulciber muttered, pressing his wand to her skin, just below her collarbone. She screamed again, not in fear this time, but pain, scorching hot pain. It felt like the tip of his wand was burning into her skin.