Love is the wisdom of the fool and the folly of the wise.
-- Samuel Johnson 1709-84: in W. Cooke 'Life of Samuel Foote' (1805)
Lily's Secret
Peter was looking out of the window. What had started out as a sunny day had soon become a cloudy and rainy one. He looked across to the Quidditch pitch. Two figures emerged onto it and it looked like one of the figures was trying to reason with the other one but it kept being pushed away. Peter shrugged and went back to his Transfiguration homework.
Maybe he should ask James for help.
Where was James anyway?
***
The sky had filled with clouds, blotting out the sun. Rain had started to fall. The grounds were completely empty, apart from two people. They stood staring at each other. Lily made as if to walk forward but James just backed away.
"Please," she whimpered, as the wind whipped her wet robes against her. "Just let me explain!"
"Go inside, Evans," ordered James. "Go inside and forget about me."
"I could never forget about you, James."
***
Peter looked out of the window again.
These people must be mad. It was freezing out there!
He saw one of them turn and walk back up the path to the castle. The other person just stood there, watching them go, as the black sky began to surround the pitch.
***
Lily ran back up to the castle, tears streaming down her face.
This was why you were not supposed to get involved with a Marauder.
She opened the castle doors quietly, took one look behind her at the closing darkness, and shut them.
"Ah, Evans."
She turned to find Sirius, staring right at her.
***
James did not want to go back inside even though he was so cold that he felt like his arms might drop off. He wanted to test the elements and forget all about Lily, Sirius, and the thoughts rushing through his head. He mounted his broom and kicked off. Almost immediately a great wind came, knocking him off his broom and into the darkness. He plummeted towards the ground.
***
"Not now, Black," said Lily, furious at having been caught crying.
"Yes, now, Evans. I want to know what you said to James and where he is and I want to know it now!"
Lily looked into Sirius’ eyes and saw that he looked worried.
He deserves to know the truth.
Reluctantly, she let him lead her into an empty classroom. They both sat down.
***
"Peter," said Remus, as he entered the common room. "Have you seen James? I've been looking everywhere."
"No, sorry. Can you help me with this?" he replied, waving his Transfiguration essay at Remus.
"Not now Peter," Remus rolled his eyes, "I have to find James."
***
"You said that?" Sirius's face looked as if it might explode, "and then you just left him outside, alone?"
Lily nodded, her face reddening. Sirius shook his head; this was one messed-up relationship.
"Well, come on then," he said, pulling her over to the door.
"What? Where are we going?"
"To get Remus and Peter, and then find James!"
"I think it's best if I don't…"
"You're coming, whether you like it or not!"
***
James hit the ground and instantly passed out. His broom kept flying, through the stormy sky and off into the dark. The fog grew thicker as he lay on the muddy ground, unconscious and bleeding, a big gash across his face.
***
"Oh, Padfoot, there you are. What's wrong?"
Remus looked from Sirius's grave face to Lily's tearstained one.
"You tell him what you just told me, I'll go to get Peter and the invisibility cloak," Sirius ordered, not meeting Lily's eyes.
Remus looked at her questioningly, worried about his friend.
James was renowned for doing stupid things but he usually told them first. That way they could at least try and talk him out of them.
***
Peter had dozed off. He had gotten bored and the figure he had been watching through the window had gone.
He did not know why Remus was making such a fuss. James was always disappearing and reappearing again. Then he remembered the fight from earlier.
"SHIT!" He woke with a start. How the hell could he have been so stupid?
He got up, pulled on his outside robes and collided with Sirius, coming down the boys’ staircase.
"Sirius. James. Quidditch pitch. Missing," he stammered, hoping Sirius would understand.
"Oh God," said Sirius. He glanced out of the window, "Oh god! I can't find the invisibility cloak either! Oh God! Oh God! OH GOD!"
He grabbed Peter by the arm and ran down the stairs.
"Mr. Black," came the all too familiar voice, "just where do you think you're going?"
Sirius looked up into the cold hard eyes of Professor McGonagall.
He wasn't going anywhere now.
***
"What the hell is taking them so long?" demanded Lily.
Remus shrugged.
"I'll go to see, be careful that no teachers catch you down here. It's after hours."
He walked up the main staircase in the same direction Sirius had gone.
Rain battered against the windows and wind clashed against the door.
"Oh James, where are you?" whispered Lily.
***
"Remus Lupin?" A high-pitched voice asked. "Ah good, I've been meaning to talk to you."
Just my luck, thought Remus as Professor Flitwick ushered him into an empty classroom to chat about his N.E.W.T.s.
Meanwhile Professor McGonagall was escorting Sirius and Peter back into the Gryffindor common room and locking the door behind her.
***
Lily was growing restless; they had been gone for ages. Anything could have happened to James by now. She couldn't wait any longer. Bracing herself, she threw open the door and stepped out into the unusually strong storm surrounding the school. The wind felt like a thousand knives stabbing at her body. The rain drenched her robes and hair. She shivered violently and started to make her way down to the Quidditch pitch.
She ran down the path and opened the massive gate with difficulty. The entire pitch was covered in a thick, black fog. She could barely see past her hands. "Lumos," she whispered, drawing out her wand. But even that made no difference.
"James," she cried, "James, answer me, please!"
She ran blindly thorough the fog, feeling her way. She cried out to him, but still she couldn't find him.
Lily stopped.
Maybe she should go back to the castle and tell Dumbledore. Yes, that's what she should do. She turned, now which way had she come from?
She looked around; everything looked the same, eclipsed by black fog.
Oh no…I'm lost