Chapter Five: Her Anger Boils

*When Lily stepped out of the apartment in her little black number, she felt sleek and new. In fact- she blushed as her imagination ran away with her- she felt downright sexy. James was going to drool over her all night if she could help it. While she had been getting ready, Lily had promised herself that tonight would be the most romantic night she and James had had in the last six months.

She had purposely picked a rayon black dress that haltered around her neck, hinting at cleavage, and that ended around mid-thy, tempting attention to her long legs. Around her billowed one of her nicer robes, black with silver hemming. Her hair hung loose around her, and her eyes were touched with slight sliver specks. She was a far cry from her former self. Her former self would have died on sight in such a getup, but with James by her side, Lily knew she could easily pull this off.

Tonight she was going to seduce James into falling in love with her all over again. Lily missed the James that used to spontaneously bring her flowers, or stop by her office to take her out to lunch. She missed the James that would hold her for hours, softly kissing her and whispering how much he loved her. She missed the James that she could confide in, the James that was there for her, and the James that supported her. And tonight she was going to reclaim him. With a flick of her wand and a few muttered words, Lily apparated away into the twilight for her date.

When she arrived at the restaurant, she looked around for James, but saw hide nor hair of the Stag. Maybe he was already inside? And besides, she was a little early. He still had time. Maybe she would simply check in. Walking up to the hostess, she cleared her throat.

“Hello, may I help you?”

“Yes. Reservations under James Potter?” The hostess checked her scroll and tapped a quill against her chin thoughtfully.

“Ah yes, here you are. Would you like to be seated now?”

“Well, has James arrived yet?”

“No, I’m afraid not.”

“Perhaps I’ll wait a while here in front for him.”

“Alright. When you’re ready to be seated, please let me know.”

“Thank you.” Lily took a seat in the lavishly decorated lobby of the restaurant and checked her watch. James still had five minutes to be on time, and she would give him an extra five minutes, in case of any last minute details he might have to wrap up. That meant she would only have to wait ten minutes, and then her plan of seduction could be put into action.

She smiled, remembering the good old days when it had been James who had been the mischievous one of their group. Remembering his pranks on he Slytherins, she almost laughed aloud. The time he had snuck into the Slytherin dorms and enchanted the mirrors so that the boy’s dormitory mirrors showed girls, and the girl’s mirrors showed boys. The time he had ingeniously plotted to get even with Snape and Malfoy after they had teased the Gryffindor first years to the point where they had been sobbing. The time he had let the frogs loose on the table… or the time he had dedicated his prank to her by engraving lilies on the back of the Slytherin robes. Yes, those were the good old days.

“Lily? Lady Lily Evans?” Lily was shocked out of her reverie by a loud, high-pitched voice squealing her name. Whipping her head around, she barely had time to brace herself before a blonde mass of curls flung themselves into her arms.

“Um, hi?” Was all she could respond. Laughter from the form hugging her ensued.

“Lily! You haven’t changed a bit! You’re the same as ever!” The blonde woman looked at her, smiling. Lily looked into her face hard, almost squinting. She knew it was rude but…

“No…” She whispered. Then her frown became a small smile, and it grew to a large grin. “No! I’m dreaming! Andy! Andrea White? Is that really you?”

“You bet it is Lils. Oh, I’m sorry. That’s Arabella’s name for you, isn’t it?”

“You may call whatever you want. It’s wonderful to see you again Andy.” Lily smiled, her grin becoming a softer smile. “You look great.”

“Thank you.” Andrea blushed. “I only graduated from Hogwarts this year, so I am a lot younger than everyone around here, I’m sure that’s all it is.”

“No Andy, it’s not. You look healthy. And your hair is beautiful. I didn’t know you had curly hair.”

“Hardly anyone at Hogwarts knew I used to have any hair at all. But once my chemo was done and my cancer was in full remission, I began to grow it out. I know it’s short, but I’m so happy to have it back!” The bubbly blonde laughed and placed her hand upon Lily’s shoulder. “Tell me how you’ve been Lily.”

“I’ve been fine I suppose. I’m working with the Ministry in the Department of Muggles now.”

“Rumor had it you were an auror.”

“No. I was offered the position, but muggles are still my first passion.”

“After James of course, right Lil?”

“After James of course.” Lily gave a nod and sad smile.

“Speaking of James, I haven’t seen him for as long as I haven’t seen you. How is the top Marauder?”

“Well, if James ever showed up on time, you would be asking him yourself. But now he’s almost fifteen minutes late.” Once again a sad smile graced Lily’s rouge stained lips- only this time Andy noticed.

“What’s the matter Lily? You look so… wistful almost.”

“Nothing’s the matter.” Lily perked up. She would not revert to her old personality, not with Andy. She just would not. Smiling brightly for the girl, she waved her hand. “Nothing at all. Come, tell me, what are you doing here?”

“Well, I was supposed to meet a friend here, but she had to cancel last minute, and I didn’t find out until I got here. I guess I’ve gotten all dressed up for nothing.”

“Well, seeing as how my date is shot as well, why don’t you join me for dinner? That way we won’t dine alone.”

“What a great idea! Are you sure James won’t mind if he shows up later?”

“Andy, if there is one thing I know about James, it’s this: if he’s late, it means he isn’t coming. And even if he does somehow manage to show up, he’ll have his nose buried so deep in paperwork he wouldn’t notice if one of us caught fire and started running around the restaurant screaming our heads off. In fact, he would most likely tell us to be quiet because we were disturbing his concentration.” By the time Lily finished, he voice was the same as when it had begun- strong and even. But a sickening knot had worked its way into her belly, and her throat burned and eyes stung.

“James? A workaholic? Lily, I didn’t think you told stories!” Andy laughed. Lily opened her mouth to deny she had been lying, but the only sound that came from her lips was a burble of laughter.

“Yes, I’m terrible with stories, aren’t I?”

“Well, come on, let’s sit down and order, I’m starved.” As soon as they were seated and had ordered, Andy sat back in her hair and looked Lil up and down.

In the dim lobby’s lights she hadn’t been able to see much, but now she could see her older friend and the changes that were apparent. Lily had undergone an enormous transformation. Her characteristic black hairstreaks were gone, and her red hair was brilliant and shiny, almost of if it had been glossed over. Her pale white concealer and ghastly black eye makeup had been traded in for a healthy peachy color and light slivery blue. Her nose ring was gone, and her lips were in a gentle, upturned smile- something Lily had rarely done in all her years at Hogwarts. And Lily’s inner beauty was unsurpassable. She shone with self-confidence and patience, something rare in the world they lived in.

“Lily, you’ve changed a lot since you first tutored me.”

“For the good I hope.” Lily smirked slightly.

“For the very good.” Andy told her gently. Lily blushed at the unprecedented compliment. Trying to avoid Andrea’s piercing gaze, she flickered her eyes across the room in search of a new topic.

“You know, I never realized how many muggle-borns there were here in the city. And a great deal of the people in here tonight are muggle-born.

“Yes, there are a lot of muggle-born folk here tonight. It’s odd, don’t you think?”

“Not odd per say, simply interesting.”

“Lily, have you heard the news? They say that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has convinced the giants that are living in the highlands to join his campaign against muggles and muggle-borns!”

“What?” Lily, who had already been sitting up straight, shot up in her seat and leaned forward. “Where did you hear that?”

“Why, from the Daily Prophet. Rita Skeeter said that-”

“Stop right there. You listen to that woman’s codswallop?” Lily’s voice echoed throughout the restaurant, and the rest of the patrons turned away from their own conversations to listen to the ranting redhead. After all, it was commonly known that James Potter, one of the best aurors ever to live, told his fiancée everything about the movements of the muggle hating dark wizard.

“Well, I know you have to be careful of what she says, but…”

“No buts! Rita Skeeter does not know how to tell the truth, period! The giants have not joined Voldemort, nor have the vampires. True, there are Death-Eaters that claim talks have been going on between them, but nothing has been decided, and frankly, the giants wouldn’t dare join His forces. They know we’d be on top of them faster than they could think if they did.”

“Lily, calm down! It was just something I read.” Andy tried to sooth her.

“How can I calm down with that Rita Skeeter spreading lies the way she does? People like James work so hard to put a stop to His violence, to His stupid and blind hatred, and still there are other people who insist upon fueling the fire. How can that woman sleep at night writing what she does?”

“I think she doesn’t have a conscience Lils. Now please don’t worry about her. We’re safe and sound here, so let’s enjoy our dinner?” Andy begged. Lily finally began to take deeper breaths and calm herself down.

“I’m sorry. But it really does worry me.”

“It’ll all be alright.”

“That’s what you think mudblood!” Both Lily and Andy’s heads whipped around, along with everyone else’s heads, to see who had spoken.

Standing in the entrance of the restaurant were ten figures cloaked in black, their faces shielded from view. The figures stood, like omnipotent gods, towering over the shocked witches and wizards.

“This place disgusts me.” One of the dark figures sneered. “Mudbloods and Purebloods dining together. It’s enough to make one sick.” The witches and wizards did not move, still unsure whether to panic, or curse the cloaked ones.

“This little blonde mudblood garbage was wrong. It won’t be all right, and none of you are safe. This is a raid! In the name of Lord Voldemort, we are going to purge the wizarding world of you disgusting spots on our record scrolls and rid ourselves of the filth that never should have been allowed to learn magic to begin with!” The leader of the black-cloaked figures announced. As he began to raise his wand, finally the people sprang to life. There was screaming, pleading, and begging from all corners of the room. A few smart witches and wizards managed to apparate away, but the rest were left to the devious curses and tortures of the Death-Eaters as they ran rampant within the restaurant.

“Andy, get out of here, apparate, now!”

“I can’t, I haven’t taken lessons yet, I don’t know how to!” The scared younger woman cried. Lily narrowed her eyes. Thinking quickly, she ducked under the table and tugged on Andy’s robe. The other girl whimpered and slid down next to her.

“Stay here Andy. I’m serious. Don’t move, and stay as quiet as you can.”

“Lily, what are you-”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m trained for situations like this.” Lily told her roughly before ducking out from underneath the table and surveying the situation. The ten Death-Eaters had spread out around the room, and people were still clawing at each other, over tables, chairs, and plants trying to get out and away from the curses. Lily stood behind a large marble column in left corner of the room, and took aim. Picking the Death Eater closest to her, she whispered at waved her wand. A simple charm would take her a long way.

“Wingardium Leviosa!” Came her soft words. The wizard’s wand flew from his hand, and fell to the ground. Before he could pick it up, Lily muttered the same spell again, and his feet lifted away from the ground. He yelped, but in all of the commotion, not many heard his cry for help. Lily took aim with the man and threw him into another pair of wizards who were standing near by to him. Three down, seven to go.

The next wizards she tackled were standing back to back, laughing as they terrorized a large group of witches who had been eating dinner. They had managed to split the witches into two groups, and were cursing them as fast as they could say the words. Lily growled. How dare they! Well, she would teach them a thing or two. Rolling her robe’s sleeves back, she flicked her wand at the two wizards.

“Duality Mortis!” She whispered. Suddenly the wizards dropped their wands and cried out pain. As they yelled, their roes vanished, and all witnesses could see the skin on their backs begin to pull and grow together. Soon their arms were joined, then their necks, until finally from the waist up the two men were joined literally at the hip.

“Who did that?” One of the other cloaked figures screamed. Lily looked over at him quickly. None of the others had noticed her handiwork yet, and she didn’t want this wizard to alert the others about her presence. He would be next. Without thinking, she quickly waved her wand and muttered. A few seconds later, the man lay on the ground in a full body bind and unable to speak. Six down, four to go.

Lily turned her attention to a trio of wizards who had decided to stand in a triangle in the very center of the restaurant. They were yelling out and cursing witches and wizards as they ran away from them. Picking the one facing her, Lily took aim and fired: “Armitas Disengagous!” The wizard’s arms disappeared. He yelled, and his two friends looked at him in shock.

Lily cursed her stupidity. She had just done what she hadn’t wanted to do- alert the wizards to the presence of someone who was smart enough and calm enough to resist them. She watched them look around and noticed their other Death-Eaters and their plights. Not good. Now she wished she had taken care of the trio in one spell.

“It came from that direction!” The armless wizard pointed to her pillar. The other two took aim and fired. Lily ducked as the marble column was shattered into shrapnel and dust in front of her.

“Get her! Get that witch!” The armless one screamed. The other two began to advance on Lily, and she backed herself up to the wall. She needed a curse, needed a curse, what curse, needed a curse, oh God they were close, she needed a curse…

“Impedimenta!” She called out, trying to slow them. Her charm worked, but simply because they could no longer advance on her did not mean they could not curse her. They still had their wands.

“Stupefy!” She cried out. The effect was immediate, and they were left stunned. Lily sighed and took a deep breath. Pull it together Lily! Her mind commanded her. Without the pressure of the two advancing on her, she had time to think of a curse.

“Amphibian Croakarous!” She waved her wand once at one of the wizards. Then she repeated the curse for the other. Lily almost laughed as the two wizards began to shrink in form, their pale white hands became green and bumpy, and their screams became nothing more than the croaking of two bullfrogs.

“One left…” She told herself. “Just one.” But when she looked around, she could see no tenth member picking on the people, only the nine she had already disarmed. “He got away…” *

~~~Hi everyone! I’m sorry this is a little later than promised, but look, I uploaded two chapters in one sitting! Yey! Plus, both of these chapters are much longer than my usual! Have fun reading, and please review! Thank you dearly, much love- Vixen~~~