atelophobia • {HP universe} (BOOK 1)

~ five ~

"Lily, please talk to me." Draco said i'm a demanding, annoyed voice at the dinner table. Lily continued looking forward and talking to Pansy. She hadn't spoken to Draco since the slug incident.

"Pansy, did you notice how I was sitting alone today in potions?" Lily joked, knowing full well that Draco's assigned seat is right next to hers.

"I don't see what I did wrong." Draco said with an eye roll.

"You called Hermione a mudblood!" Lily said angrily. Almost every Slytherin within earshot of the conversation rolled their eyes and groaned.

"I just stated facts." Draco continued, and now it was Lily's turn to roll her eyes and clench her jaw.

Pansy, changing the subject, looked at the doors.

"Look, people are leaving. Let's go." She said quickly. Herds of students poured in two directions out of the dining hall, one side soon lead by Draco and Lily, who were bickering like an old married couple. Lily stopped and gasped when she saw the sight in front of her.

"THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED - ENEMIES OF THE HEIR BEWARE" it read. Not only that, but Filches cat lay unmoving, hanging from the wall. When filch arrived, he ran straight to her.

Draco read it out loud.

"You'll be next Mudbloods!" He said, starring right at Hermione, and in a fit of rage, Lily pushed him over on to the ground.

"Shut up Draco!" Lily yelled, as teachers, including Professor Snape, filed in, Lily rushed over to Harry, Ron and Hermione, and put her hands on Harry's shoulder. She got close and searched his terrified eyes for answerers, and his breath hitched in his throat.

"What happened, Harry." She whispered desperately.

"Everyone! Clear out!" Dumbledore called, then pointed at Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Besides you three. That includes you leaving, Ms. Star." Dumbledore added.

"No!" Lily replied angrily, and stood in between Harry and Hermione. Severus rolled his eyes and crossed his arms but did nothing about it, which McGonagall lightly hit him in the arm for.

"These kids killed my cat!" Filch yelled.

"They would never!" Lily retorted. Dumbledore sighed, and Severus, embarrassed to be a parent in front of other people, suddenly seemed really interested in the patterns on the wall.

Lily turned around when she heard her name being whispered, and made eye contact with Draco, who stuck his tongue out at her. That immature prick. Lily could hear a conversation happening behind her but focused on flipping off Draco instead. He put a hand on his chest, pretending to be hurt, and snickered and walked away.

"Perhaps they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time." She heard her fathers voice say. This shocked her, but she was still very appreciative of it.

"What he said!" She piped in.

"But! The circumstances are very suspicious..." Snape added, and Lily rolled her eyes.

"You really think Harry Potter, who killed Voldemort, is working for his filthy causes? His mother was a muggle, the logic in here is disappointing." Lily said, sticking her nose in the air and crossing her arms. Harry smiles at her gratefully, but this only seemed to make her Snape more tense.

"Severus, please escort your daughter out of the area, I need to talk privately with Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, and Miss Granger." Dumbledore said calmly. Snape nodded and sighed, grabbing Lily's arm and dragging her out of the room and towards the Slytherin common room.

"You don't have to get involved in everything, you know." He scolded.

"Harry, Ron, and Hermione shouldn't even be in consideration for doing that to Filch's cat. Plus, did you see the handwriting? Hermione writes in cursive, Harry writes more loopy and slanted then that, and Ron can't make his penmanship legible." Lily complained.

"Try not to get involved in Potter business. They lie and take whatever they want, thinking so highly of themselves-" Severus began, but Lily cut him off with another one of his headstrong rants.

"They? You say that like Harry isn't the last Potter left. Further proving my point! His parents were killed by that monster, and as I believe anyone who stands or stood with him is just as bad as he is, Harry believes the same! He's the last Potter because of that git." Lily continued, and Severus rubbed his temples and closed his eyes, clearly trying to suppress a headache.

"I'm sorry." Lily said quieter. "I got all angry earlier and took it out here." She said, then linked her arm with Severus's, and leaned her tired head against his shoulder, and closed her eyes.

"I just want to have a normal year, but it's not off to a great start." She added, and dozed off.

The next thing Lily could properly remember, is feeling the warmth of her bed underneath her.