Snake Charmer Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Faith

Lily crawled through the portrait hole as her muscles screamed in protest. She winced and tentatively flexed her body. Every inch of her ached but she had no idea what the damage looked like. So she hoped to check it as soon as she got upstairs. As she walked a few of her fellow students nodded and waved. She greeted them in kind but did not stop to chat. She was determine to get her to her objective and made a beeline to the staircase leading towards the girl's dormitory.

As she had hoped, the room was empty. She quickly untied her robe and threw it onto her four poster bed. Under her robes, she wore a vibrant purple tulip skirt with an ornate gold belt and a black short-sleeved blouse. The clothes she wore were her own design and not what others traditionally wore under their school robes. However since everyone had to wear the floor length black robes over their clothes, Lily didn't see the point with sticking to tradition. She always wore what she wanted to wear, regardless of how appropriate or inappropriate it was. It's not like anyone could see what she was wearing.

In the centre of the room there was a full length mirror. Lily headed towards it and stared at her reflection. As she looked, she unclipped the belt and threw it on her bed. She then began to tug on the buttons of her blouse as her skirt swiftly followed by falling over the curves of her hips and pooled both items at her feet. She then flicked the garments back towards her bed with her toes. This left her wearing her undergarments that were the same colour hue as her hair.

She scanned her reflection quickly and saw that her front looked normal. She smiled and thought that her damage may not be as bad as she felt. She then turned to look at her back while brushing her hair away and was instantly horrified at what she found. Ugly purple blotches littered her backside and forearms, marring her pearly white skin.

She stroked one gingerly and winced instinctively. Wanting to assess the damage further, she scooped her hair over her shoulders so that it lay against her front and tickled the sensitive skin of her breasts and stomach. She turned her attention back to the mirror and twisted her neck so she could observe the image in the mirror in full detail.

She looked over her reflection and had the overwhelming urge to be sick. Her once opalescent skin of her back and thighs was now a patchy mixture of red, purple and blue. How the hell had being thrown into a bookcase cause that much damage? No wonder her movements were limited. She frowned as she thought about climbing on a broom tomorrow. It was going to kill her. Her little tolerance for pain had never been something she liked to brag about so she was going to have to do something and quickly. Going to see Madame Bones in the hospital wing was out of the question. The mediwitch would automatically suspect who had caused her those bruises.

At her inspection, Lily hated Scorpius Malfoy. Strike that, hate wasn't a powerful enough word. She LOATHED Scorpius Malfoy.

As she fumed, the dormitory door creaked open. Lily snapped her head towards the door in surprise as she cursed out loud, "Crap, crap, crap, crap, CRAP!" Walking through the open doorway were three fifth year students. Lily tried to shout at them to leave but she suddenly couldn't find her voice.

Coleen Creevy was in the middle of laughing at something her companion, the fetching Gryffindor team beater Chester Thomas, had been saying. They froze at the sight of Lily standing there in nothing but her underwear. As Coleen stared, Chester's mouth gaped as his eyes looked Lily up and down and settled on her breasts. Lily would have blushed under his heated gaze if she wasn't so horrified.

The third student that was behind them slammed into their backs. "Ouch! What the hell you two?" Maggie yelled at them. She stepped around them glowering and then her eyes met Lily's. Her expression showed no shock of seeing Lily parading around half naked but then her eyes shot to the reflection in the mirror. "What the hell happened to your back?" she asked appalled.

Maggie then stepped towards her and Lily watched Coleen thump Chester in the chest as hard as she could. He didn't even flinch as his gaze continued on Lily. Lily proceeded to cover her breast protectively with her arms in order to get him to stop his stare. He blinked stupidly then and looked at a seething Coleen as she dragged him back out of the doorway, slamming the door behind them.

Once they were gone, Lily turned back to Maggie's concerned gaze. "What the hell happened to you back?" Maggie repeated.

Lily swallowed loudly and finally found her voice. "I fell off the ladder in the library", she replied in a monotone voice. Well, that's half true, she thought and then she wondered why on earth she was covering for Malfoy.

Maggie scowled at her and shook her head disbelievingly. "You fell off the ladder in the library?" she repeated.

Lily started to nod but the pain in her head made her dizzy. "Yes. I was right at the top and I slipped off. I landed badly on my back as you can see."

Maggie's scowl deepened as she considered the likeliness of that happening but she noticed the stubborn set of Lily's jaw. So she nodded her head after a few seconds. "Let's just pretend I believe you. Now what are you going to do about it? Do you have anything that'll help heal the bruises?"

Lily smiled suddenly as she remembered the box under her bed. She strode over to her bed wincing in pain without bothering to cover up her modesty. Maggie was the only other person in the room anyway. She carefully crouched and retrieved a small wooded chest she stored there. She opened it and found it full with a variety of small potion bottles and pastes. This first aid kit had been a gift from her eldest cousin Victorie whom recently passed her training and was now a healer at St Mungo's- a hospital for Witches and Wizards with magical maladies and injuries.

The potions bottles clanged softly as Lily sifted through them until her fingers found the potion she sought. It was a small circular bottle that was half-filled with a lavender scented clear liquid. Its function was to speed up the healing process. She took off the cork and swallowed double the dose from it. She then returned the bottle back to the box. Instantly, Lily felt soothed and checked for the results in the mirror. She noted appreciatively that the bruises had begun to fade into yellow blotches. She also noted that her head no longer hurt. So feeling considerably better, she took a step backwards.

Maggie sat on Lily's bed and watched the transformation with approval. She sent a hopeful glance at the box and held out her hands for Lily to see. "I don't suppose you have anything in there that can treat these?" For the first time, Lily noticed the painful looking boils and blisters that swelled all over Maggie's hands. Lily rummaged through the chest again and found an olive coloured paste used for the treatment of boils and handed it to Maggie.

She took it gratefully and started spreading it over her effected skin. Her hands seemed to fizz for a few seconds and then they were smooth, all remnants of the boils gone. "I hate professor Greengrass. She had me do all the nasty disgusting bits while Warrington got off easy", she complained while flexing her newly repaired fingers.

Lily sighed, "What did you expect? She's Malfoy's aunt after all. So of course she will be giving you the harder task." Maggie flinched then nodded thoughtfully. It was obvious that she hadn't thought of that. Lily slid the chest back under her bed and stood. "Common room?" she asked and Maggie raised her eyebrows looking Lily over.

Lily looked down puzzled and then her mouth popped into a small 'o' shape. She was still in her underwear. Now THAT really would have caused a scene. She blushed and slipped on a pair of skinny black jeans, some silver ballet flats and a comfy grey jumper that had a picture of a golden snitch knitted by her grandmother. Once she was ready, they headed downstairs.

The common room was busy with people entertaining themselves. There were several games of gobstones, wizard's chess and exploding snap going on all over. In one of the corners, several of the older students sat with their noses in a book while jotting down notes as they worked. Lily avoided the inappropriate gaze that Chester sent and the aggrieved one from Coleen Creevy.

A familiar pair of emerald eyes caught her attention as her brother Albus peered over the top of the sofa. He beckoned them to join him with a wave of his hand and they obeyed willingly. He lay across the sofa just in front of the fire, hogging it so no one could take the place he intended for Lily. When they reached him he bounced his way to the centre of the sofa. He stretched and rested each arm spread out over the back of the couch. The girls sat on either side of him. As they did so, Lily wished that Maggie hadn't sat as close to him. But she knew there was nothing for her to worry about. She knew her friend's affections currently lay elsewhere.

Albus turned his back on Maggie as he turned to look at Lily. Maggie pouted with obvious displeasure of his ignoring her. She was not used to being treated that way. But she soon got over it when she started talking to Amelia Wood who sat in a nearby armchair.

"How's my Lils? Survived detention ok?" he asked, showing off his perfect teeth as he beamed at her. His expression faltered when he studied her stony expression. "You ok, Lils?" he asked in a voice full of brotherly concern.

"No", she huffed. She kicked off her ballet flats and curled up on the couch while staring at the fireplace. "I hate him", she spat toxically and they all knew who she meant by him. "And now I'm stuck with him every evening during the week, which could well be until he graduates at the end of the year. And to top it off, I'm under threat of expulsion!" She finally turned to face him. As she looked at him, she noticed Maggie's state of shock. Maggie hadn't been present when the headmaster had given Lily his final verdict.

Albus whistled and ruffled his already untidy black hair. "Really?" he asked in a tone of surprise. However, his eyes said otherwise- like he had already predicted as such. Her brother was quite perceptive and tended to know things before they actually happened. But he was no way near as talented as her brother James. She used to tease James by saying that he should have studied Divination. In response, he would turn his noses up at the suggestion saying that his gift was being observant, not clairvoyant.

Lily was a little irritated that Albus hadn't thought of warning her. But then again, she could have misread his expression. "Yes, Malfoy too", she replied despite her annoyance. She turned to stare at the fire again, watching the flames flicker. Without turning to look at Al, she voiced a concern that had been ebbing away at her since she received the news. "Do you think mum and dad will kill me?" she asked in a small voice that was so unlike Lily.

Albus dragged her into a brotherly embrace. "I keep forgetting you're only fifteen. You act much older", he sighed and she peered up at him waiting for his answer. He then grinned at her and said, "Most definitely", he teased.

"Thanks for the comfort", she retorted sarcastically and slapped his chest with an open palm of her left hand. He squeezed her tightly and Lily rolled her eyes.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Lils. I doubt it'll get as far as you actually getting expelled", he told her more seriously.

Lily looked uncertain and pulled away from him. He hadn't seen her behaviour today. If things carried on like that, she wouldn't last till Christmas holiday. "I wouldn't wager on it. There's only so much I can take of Malfoy without hexing him."

"I've already got ten galleons on it with Hugo. That's how much I believe in you", Albus told her and Lily shook her head in disbelief. She then caught Maggie's surprised expression when she heard Al and smiled.

"Ten galleons? You've got way too much faith in me brother", She said. But hearing the challenge set off a spark in her gut. If there anything else she could do in order to help Albus win a bet against Hugo, she would do it. Heck, she'd even snog Malfoy's face off and pronounce him the love of her life! Even the impending expulsion didn't give her half the amount of drive as the playful rivalry between Al and their cousin Hugo. She loved them both dearly. However, when such things occurred she always sided with her brother first. No questions asked.

She cocked her neck and searched for Hugo then. When she spotted him, she saw that he was engaged in a heated conversation with his sister Rose but she couldn't make out their words. She frowned at the sight of him. Did he really believe that she would get expelled? Well, she would show him. Maggie and Al laughed when they saw the look of determination shine in Lily's face. Then Al said, "Nah, Hugo just has too little faith in you." He then added, "Anyway, I'll split the winnings with you."

Lily joined in their laughter this time and felt the gazes of the other students brush over her when they heard the trio laugh. "Yeah, well he better watch out. If I can't hex Malfoy, then I may have to duel with him instead."

Albus leaned back in the sofa. "That would be entertaining. You know more spells but he's a sneaky one, that one. And clever. I still don't think it will be an equal match between you too though", he sighed and his eyes glazed over. As Lily watched Al, she could tell he was playing out the scenario in his mind. "You'll destroy him for sure", he joked.

"Who'll destroy whom?" Hugo asked. He came up to them all of a sudden like the opposite end of a magnet. Rose followed behind him and perched on the armrest next to Lily. As she offered to move down the couch, Rose shook her head. Rose was quite comfy where she was. Albus then shifted closer to Lily in order to make room for Hugo. This resulted in Hugo sitting between Al and Maggie. At this arrangement, Lily noticed that Maggie was not happy about it. The couch was now too cramped. So Maggie got up instead and sat at another vacant chair.

"Our little Lily flower here has been forbidden to hex, jinx, curse, etc. the ever-so-slimy Malfoy and his goons under threat of impending doom", he informed Hugo dramatically. "Therefore, she will be going out after you in order to get out all of her pent up malevolence that Malfoy causes."

Hugo looked positively gleeful. "Really? Awesome! That will definitely be something I could write about back home. But I wouldn't say she'd destroy me." he said. Hugo looks way too excited about this, Lily thought when she turned her gaze back to the other five. She highly doubted Hugo would feel this same enthusiasm later in the week when she finally did snap from being benevolent towards Malfoy. That git had a way of making her furious with the smallest provocation. She had no idea why he riled her so.

The night continued with the group chatting amongst themselves about random topics. At around half past ten, the majority of the students began to filter out to their dorm rooms. Lily sat curled up in an armchair stroking a purring Padfoot curled up in her lap. Her head began to lull sleepily against the back of the chair as she watched Albus and Amelia (a seventh-year Gryffindor chaser) throw a quaffle back and forth as practice. Albus had just been appointed the Gryffindor Keeper since James graduated last year and Hugo took over his old position. Hugo was now paired to play beater with Chester Thomas.

Maggie sat with Hugo on the couch now and was chatting animatedly as they both watched the game of catch. Lily then heard Maggie cheer when Albus made an impressive catch on a particularly tricky throw. He even had to launch himself over a nearby table. Amelia cheered as well and Albus blushed. After a few more throws, they announced a draw and said their goodnights. Lily though their retreat was wise as her own eyelids drooped.

She climbed out of the armchair with Padfoot under her arms. When the others saw her get up, the rest seemed to follow suit.

"Hey you know what, Lils?" Albus asked as he chased after her as she made her way to the portrait hall.

Lily stopped and released a fidgeting Padfoot and set him jump through the portrait hole. Her cat preferred to roam the castle looking for mice at night. She watched her short-haired black tomcat prowl out of sight and she yawned sleepily on the way back to her dormitory. "What Al?"

"No one can expel you for having a little healthy competition. Between you and Malfoy, I mean. When you're on the Quidditch pitch, all bets are off. Just make sure to keep it clean and you'll see that we will slaughter him and the rest of the Slytherin team like no other. At least, that's how I handle him."

"Great idea, Al" she answered and turned to leave. But then she stopped and turned back to her brother. "By the way, I have a few ideas for practice later this week. Could we discuss them over breakfast? I'd like to hear what you think about them before I present them to the team."

Albus nodded at her and tapped her back encouragingly. "Sure thing. Goodnight, Lils"

Lily grinned. "Goodnight. Oh, and before I forget to mention: Quidditch practice will have to be before breakfast from now on because of my detentions. So be there", she informed him. Albus groaned as well as Hugo. Both he and Maggie had just come up to them as they neared the end of their conversation. Lily knew her new schedule would not go well since both boys weren't early birds. But she was captain after all. So at their response, she grabbed hold of Maggie's arm and ran up to the girl's dormitory before they could protest further.