[On Hiatus] It Was Meant to Be (A James and Lily Story)

Chapter 30

"Incarcerous!"

Lily was frozen as she watched the curse hit James straight in the chest. He tried to reach for his wand, but he was too late as ropes bound themselves around his torso. She shared a confused look with James and grabbed her wand to help him.

"Expelliarmus!" a gruff voice shouted and Lily watched helplessly as her wand was whisked away from her. In the same way, James' wand was taken away from him.

Lily whirled around to see Snape leading a group of Slytherins from around the corner. Snape stopped in his tracks when he saw Lily next to James. She isn't supposed to be here, he thought, furiously.

Even though there weren't as many Slytherins as the attack during the beginning of the year, Lily had a feeling this was going to end badly. She and James were completely unarmed, the realization causing her nerves to go into a frenzy. She stood her ground until she was face to face with all of them.

Snape was accompanied by Wilkes and Rosier, but that's not what worried Lily. Bellatrix rounded out the group. Bellatrix smiled cruelly at Lily, baring her teeth in an ugly smile.

"A poor mudblood shouldn't be roaming the corridors all alone. Who knows what might happen?" Bellatrix taunted.

Lily's mind was reeling. She needed to think of a plan, and quick, or else they were done for. She eyed her wand in Rosier's hand, her fingers itching to hold it once again.

I have to stall, just enough for me to summon my wand, Lily thought.

A grunt of pain from behind her pulled her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see James fall to the ground, the ropes around his chest tightening with every passing second.

"Lils... can't.... breathe..," he wheezed.

Snape smirked as he brought his own wand down, muttering a silencing charm before he cast his next curse. "Petrificus Totalus!"

James' body arched and crashed into the floor. His mouth was open, but no sound came out as he lay lifeless on the floor. Lily felt a knot in her throat as she felt the tears gather in her eyes. She screamed and did the only thing she could. She threw herself at Snape.

"HOW COULD YOU? YOU BASTARD!"

She swatted his wand away and shoved him. Snape gasped as he stumbled backward. Lily had never been violent, but the thought of James propelled her forward. She eyed Snape's wand on the stone floor and as she was about to leap towards it,  she was suddenly yanked backward by her hair.

Lily shrieked as Bellatrix's face came into view, the Slytherin tightening her grip on Lily's hair.

"I warned you not to get involved," sneered Bellatrix, baring her teeth.

Snape scrambled up and grabbed his wand once again as Bellatrix dragged Lily to the side, with the latter struggling to get free. Snape cast the counter curse to the Full Body-Bind, but before James could react, Snape sent an arrow shooting jinx his way, impaling James' right shoulder. James shouted in pain, breathing hard as he attempted to break free from the ropes binding him.

Lily cried out as she saw Snape lift his wand once again, "Please! Severus, stop it! Ple-"

Her cries were drowned out as Bellatrix clamped her hand over Lily's mouth. As Lily squirmed desperately out of Bellatrix's hold, Snape hesitated, his eyes focused on Lily.

"You idiot! What are you doing? Curse him!" commanded Bellatrix, trying to get Lily to stay still under her grasp.

Snape threw one last apologetic look at Lily as he slashed his wand in the air. A large gash appeared in James' right leg, blood soaking the frayed edges of his trousers.