Chapter 3
Lily had finally gotten out of the hospital. The first thing she'd done when she was allowed to leave was go back in. Now, why anyone in their right minds voluntarily go to a hospital is what you may be wondering. Well, if they had someone to visit, of course. And Lily had someone important to visit: Katia. Ever since James had told her that Katia had been injured, all she'd done was think about her. Well her, and the compliment Perkins had given her.
Leaning over Katia's now frail body, Lily could barely believe that this was her. Eyes closed, mouth in a slight pucker, and arms and legs bandaged, Katia looked so weak and unlike herself. Katia had always hated when people would do things for her, even when it was impossible for her to it herself, because she wanted to show people what she could accomplish on her own. Now Katia couldn't even move her own finger.
Lily brushed a long piece of Katia's brown hair away from her face, and saw the large bruise hidden underneath it. She gently touched it and then pulled her hand away quickly. She just wanted Katia to open her damn eyes already. Lily didn't even know what she was supposed to do now. Was she just supposed to sit and stare or actually have a one sided conversation? Lily decided she had had enough of the sitting and staring so she opted for the one-sided conversation.
"Hey Katia," she began uncertainly, her eyelashes fluttering madly "So, um, I just got out of the hospital. You really got that Death Eater. He is behind bars in Askaban and hopefully will be for all eternity. That's how we want it, right? That scumbag got to me and you! When I woke up James told me about what happened to you, but you are doing great and...and....." Lily faltered and trailed off.
She stood awkwardly in the room for a while, not even looking at Katia, just staring at the floor. She felt like a mindless idiot, babbling endlessly to a wall or something of the sort. After all, it wasn't as if Katia could hear anything. But still, she told herself, you never know. Maybe Katia could hear, but just couldn't talk, or something like that. Better just to stay and talk, she decided.
"This is sort of awkward," she tried again, bouncing nervously on the balls of her toes "I mean, you're sorta in a coma so basically I'm talking to that ugly plant over there. Actually, I should ask them to remove it. You would positively hate it But you are going to wake up soon. Don't worry or anything. Not that you can, come to think about. Right now you really can't do a thing! Ok, I don't that came out right. This all just didn't come out right. Its just-" Lily was cut off as the door opened.
It was James again. She smiled bravely at him and he gave her a small nod back. He closed the door slowly and quietly and said "Moody told me you were let out of the hospital so I figured I'd find you here."
Lily tried to smile, but it just wouldn't come "It is just is so wierd. If Katia was up, she would jump out of the bed and start yelling at the doctors about how they were doing everything totally wrong because how could someone be forced to stay in a bed for longer than they sleep in it. She looks so different, too,"
James stepped closer and Lily sort of leaned against him, but didn't put all her weight on him "She does," he agreed "But I think maybe you should go home and rest for a day or two and then come back. You just got out of a room you've been in for a week. It probably will be easier then."
Lily straightened herself up and picked up her bag that was on the floor next to Katia's bag.
"Yeah, you're probably right." she said to him and then to Katia "I'll be back soon. I better go make sure our apartment is still standing,"
"Should I come?" James asked. "Maybe help you get things on track?"
"Nah," Lily shook her head "I'll be fine. Really. Don't worry about me. Oh, and get someone to get that plant out of here, please."
She waved before leaving a confused James with Katia and getting a ride back to the apartment.
********************************************************************
Lily rested in her apartment for a half a week, getting everything in order before visiting Katia. And James had been right about it being easier than before. Lily had more to tell her, about Perkins, the apartment, and just normal every day things. The doctors said things were looking up for Katia, so Lily was beginning to relax and even went back to work.
The office was bustling with work now, with so many Aurors hurt and injured from the last battle. Lily had such a large overload of work and she was up into odd hours of the night trying to get everything finished. She was thankful for James and his friend Sirius who always was stopping by and without their crazy little jokes she didn't know how she would get through her days.
During one of their antics, Lily told them so and Sirius answered cheekily "Aw, Lily that's sweet, you know. We're usually told otherwise, how we are crazy hooligans and troublemakers. Marauders, that's what people think we are.
He and James shared a glance before bursting into laughter, rolling around. Lily chuckled as she rolled her eyes and retorted with "Well, I just got out of the hospital so my opinion is not that reliable."
James wiped his eyes and said "So, did you visit Katia lately?"
Lily warmed at this and her eyes shone as she answered "Yup, and the doctors say she should be out of it within a week or two!"
"Don't get your hopes to high up," James warned "You never know,"
She stuck her tongue out at him and answered with "Too late."
"Have you gotten any work done?" he inquired.
"Barely. There is just so much to do!" she complained
Sirius laughed and said "Well, give Katia darling my regards even though she'll probably snarl at that. She's one of those people who think we are troublesome marauders. I got to run though. See ya, James,"
He slapped James on the back, before opening the door to leave. However, Perkins, who was entering the room, bumped into him.
"Oh, I'm sorry lad," Perkins apologized to Sirius, who just waved him off jovially before leaving "Lily, I want to once again commend you on the breakthrough you made. The decoding of the letter, just perfect! You have a great mind for this business. Wonderful, in fact. I want you in my office at two thirty. I've been working on a quite confidential project, and, well, I don't want to say too much, but lets just say, I have important things to talk to you about,"
"Sure," Lily beamed.
Once Perkins had left the room, James smiled and shook his finger at her "Lily! I thought you said you didn't get much work done,"
"Well...." Lily trailed off, giggling.
James made a series of faces that made Lily laugh so much, she almost threw up her breakfast right there "James.... really.." she wheezed "Stop!"
"Ok, ok," James said obediently "Put in a good word for me, will you?"
"You betcha,"
*************************************************
"So, the project I wanted to talk to you about," Perkins said when Lily was settled in her seat "I can trust you, right?"
"Of course!" Lily said wide-eyed in her most enthusiastic voice "I am a very confidential person,"
Perkins chuckled "You're funny, you know? Well, I have been working on this for years, YEARS! So this is important to me and I have been studied everyone carefully to see who would be good for this, especially newcomers because they won't be too tied up already. You have striving wonderfully so I think this is made for you! However, if you choose not to participate in this, I need your permission to perform a small memory spell on you. For operation's sake of course,"
"Uhuh, I see," Lily said nervously. "Sure,"
She didn't want to seem like she wasn't experienced. Besides, why wouldn't she want to do..do..well, whatever he was about to ask her?
" All right. So these Death Eaters are killing us. KILLING US!" he roared, pounding his fist on his desk for emphasis.
Lily jumped in her seat, nervously "Well, er, I would hope that we would be doing the killing," she tried to joke.
"Exactly so! So, I thought, the only way to beat them is to join them. But if we joined them we'd do the exact opposite of we wanted to do. So, I thought, maybe we should pretend to join them. Yes, I know its brilliant. Then again, only a brilliant mind can think of this, right?"
"I'm not sure of what you are saying," Lily mumbled, extremely confused with his rampage.
"In easier words, I am asking you to be an undercover Deatheater. You will extract information that will help us extremely in getting them. Now, this is a private operation, administered by me only, so it will only be discussed with me. So, what do you say?" he asked.
Lily's mouth dropped open and for a while she didn't speak. Her heart was pounding and her brain was speeding. Finally she gained control and said "Can I think this over?"
"I need to know now. This is perfectly safe, and I will pay you a lot for this. A whole lot. I wouldn't be asking you this if I didn't think it was safe."
"I'll do it," popped out of Lily's mouth.
"Great, I'll need you in my office tomorrow to discuss with you and the other people to partake in it exactly what we will be doing. Here, take this for agreeing to it," he thrust a handful of galleons into her hand.
"Oh, thank you!" she gasped, eyes wide about how much money he had given her.
"You may leave now," he told her than, so she left, her mind still racing
She desperately needed money to pay for Katia's operations as well as apartment. This would hopefully cover it. She grinned as she thought that she over so many other people had been picked for this position. Plus, he told her it was safe. And he wouldn't lie to her
Lily didn't stop to think of what Perkin's definition of safe was. Because if she had, then she realized that safe for him was actually quite dangerous for most people.
A/n: Great, done!! Yay!! thanx to:
Parselmouth Majere: I'm glad you like the action and that Lily's not perfect- I try hard not to Mary Sue her!
uknowwhoslittleprincess: Aw,thanx! your story is really good, too.
PIGS*IN*A*BLANKET: thankyou!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you are so nice b/c ur a liar and you better update really really really soon!!
Thats all folks! AND ppppppppppppllllllllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!
Lily had finally gotten out of the hospital. The first thing she'd done when she was allowed to leave was go back in. Now, why anyone in their right minds voluntarily go to a hospital is what you may be wondering. Well, if they had someone to visit, of course. And Lily had someone important to visit: Katia. Ever since James had told her that Katia had been injured, all she'd done was think about her. Well her, and the compliment Perkins had given her.
Leaning over Katia's now frail body, Lily could barely believe that this was her. Eyes closed, mouth in a slight pucker, and arms and legs bandaged, Katia looked so weak and unlike herself. Katia had always hated when people would do things for her, even when it was impossible for her to it herself, because she wanted to show people what she could accomplish on her own. Now Katia couldn't even move her own finger.
Lily brushed a long piece of Katia's brown hair away from her face, and saw the large bruise hidden underneath it. She gently touched it and then pulled her hand away quickly. She just wanted Katia to open her damn eyes already. Lily didn't even know what she was supposed to do now. Was she just supposed to sit and stare or actually have a one sided conversation? Lily decided she had had enough of the sitting and staring so she opted for the one-sided conversation.
"Hey Katia," she began uncertainly, her eyelashes fluttering madly "So, um, I just got out of the hospital. You really got that Death Eater. He is behind bars in Askaban and hopefully will be for all eternity. That's how we want it, right? That scumbag got to me and you! When I woke up James told me about what happened to you, but you are doing great and...and....." Lily faltered and trailed off.
She stood awkwardly in the room for a while, not even looking at Katia, just staring at the floor. She felt like a mindless idiot, babbling endlessly to a wall or something of the sort. After all, it wasn't as if Katia could hear anything. But still, she told herself, you never know. Maybe Katia could hear, but just couldn't talk, or something like that. Better just to stay and talk, she decided.
"This is sort of awkward," she tried again, bouncing nervously on the balls of her toes "I mean, you're sorta in a coma so basically I'm talking to that ugly plant over there. Actually, I should ask them to remove it. You would positively hate it But you are going to wake up soon. Don't worry or anything. Not that you can, come to think about. Right now you really can't do a thing! Ok, I don't that came out right. This all just didn't come out right. Its just-" Lily was cut off as the door opened.
It was James again. She smiled bravely at him and he gave her a small nod back. He closed the door slowly and quietly and said "Moody told me you were let out of the hospital so I figured I'd find you here."
Lily tried to smile, but it just wouldn't come "It is just is so wierd. If Katia was up, she would jump out of the bed and start yelling at the doctors about how they were doing everything totally wrong because how could someone be forced to stay in a bed for longer than they sleep in it. She looks so different, too,"
James stepped closer and Lily sort of leaned against him, but didn't put all her weight on him "She does," he agreed "But I think maybe you should go home and rest for a day or two and then come back. You just got out of a room you've been in for a week. It probably will be easier then."
Lily straightened herself up and picked up her bag that was on the floor next to Katia's bag.
"Yeah, you're probably right." she said to him and then to Katia "I'll be back soon. I better go make sure our apartment is still standing,"
"Should I come?" James asked. "Maybe help you get things on track?"
"Nah," Lily shook her head "I'll be fine. Really. Don't worry about me. Oh, and get someone to get that plant out of here, please."
She waved before leaving a confused James with Katia and getting a ride back to the apartment.
********************************************************************
Lily rested in her apartment for a half a week, getting everything in order before visiting Katia. And James had been right about it being easier than before. Lily had more to tell her, about Perkins, the apartment, and just normal every day things. The doctors said things were looking up for Katia, so Lily was beginning to relax and even went back to work.
The office was bustling with work now, with so many Aurors hurt and injured from the last battle. Lily had such a large overload of work and she was up into odd hours of the night trying to get everything finished. She was thankful for James and his friend Sirius who always was stopping by and without their crazy little jokes she didn't know how she would get through her days.
During one of their antics, Lily told them so and Sirius answered cheekily "Aw, Lily that's sweet, you know. We're usually told otherwise, how we are crazy hooligans and troublemakers. Marauders, that's what people think we are.
He and James shared a glance before bursting into laughter, rolling around. Lily chuckled as she rolled her eyes and retorted with "Well, I just got out of the hospital so my opinion is not that reliable."
James wiped his eyes and said "So, did you visit Katia lately?"
Lily warmed at this and her eyes shone as she answered "Yup, and the doctors say she should be out of it within a week or two!"
"Don't get your hopes to high up," James warned "You never know,"
She stuck her tongue out at him and answered with "Too late."
"Have you gotten any work done?" he inquired.
"Barely. There is just so much to do!" she complained
Sirius laughed and said "Well, give Katia darling my regards even though she'll probably snarl at that. She's one of those people who think we are troublesome marauders. I got to run though. See ya, James,"
He slapped James on the back, before opening the door to leave. However, Perkins, who was entering the room, bumped into him.
"Oh, I'm sorry lad," Perkins apologized to Sirius, who just waved him off jovially before leaving "Lily, I want to once again commend you on the breakthrough you made. The decoding of the letter, just perfect! You have a great mind for this business. Wonderful, in fact. I want you in my office at two thirty. I've been working on a quite confidential project, and, well, I don't want to say too much, but lets just say, I have important things to talk to you about,"
"Sure," Lily beamed.
Once Perkins had left the room, James smiled and shook his finger at her "Lily! I thought you said you didn't get much work done,"
"Well...." Lily trailed off, giggling.
James made a series of faces that made Lily laugh so much, she almost threw up her breakfast right there "James.... really.." she wheezed "Stop!"
"Ok, ok," James said obediently "Put in a good word for me, will you?"
"You betcha,"
*************************************************
"So, the project I wanted to talk to you about," Perkins said when Lily was settled in her seat "I can trust you, right?"
"Of course!" Lily said wide-eyed in her most enthusiastic voice "I am a very confidential person,"
Perkins chuckled "You're funny, you know? Well, I have been working on this for years, YEARS! So this is important to me and I have been studied everyone carefully to see who would be good for this, especially newcomers because they won't be too tied up already. You have striving wonderfully so I think this is made for you! However, if you choose not to participate in this, I need your permission to perform a small memory spell on you. For operation's sake of course,"
"Uhuh, I see," Lily said nervously. "Sure,"
She didn't want to seem like she wasn't experienced. Besides, why wouldn't she want to do..do..well, whatever he was about to ask her?
" All right. So these Death Eaters are killing us. KILLING US!" he roared, pounding his fist on his desk for emphasis.
Lily jumped in her seat, nervously "Well, er, I would hope that we would be doing the killing," she tried to joke.
"Exactly so! So, I thought, the only way to beat them is to join them. But if we joined them we'd do the exact opposite of we wanted to do. So, I thought, maybe we should pretend to join them. Yes, I know its brilliant. Then again, only a brilliant mind can think of this, right?"
"I'm not sure of what you are saying," Lily mumbled, extremely confused with his rampage.
"In easier words, I am asking you to be an undercover Deatheater. You will extract information that will help us extremely in getting them. Now, this is a private operation, administered by me only, so it will only be discussed with me. So, what do you say?" he asked.
Lily's mouth dropped open and for a while she didn't speak. Her heart was pounding and her brain was speeding. Finally she gained control and said "Can I think this over?"
"I need to know now. This is perfectly safe, and I will pay you a lot for this. A whole lot. I wouldn't be asking you this if I didn't think it was safe."
"I'll do it," popped out of Lily's mouth.
"Great, I'll need you in my office tomorrow to discuss with you and the other people to partake in it exactly what we will be doing. Here, take this for agreeing to it," he thrust a handful of galleons into her hand.
"Oh, thank you!" she gasped, eyes wide about how much money he had given her.
"You may leave now," he told her than, so she left, her mind still racing
She desperately needed money to pay for Katia's operations as well as apartment. This would hopefully cover it. She grinned as she thought that she over so many other people had been picked for this position. Plus, he told her it was safe. And he wouldn't lie to her
Lily didn't stop to think of what Perkin's definition of safe was. Because if she had, then she realized that safe for him was actually quite dangerous for most people.
A/n: Great, done!! Yay!! thanx to:
Parselmouth Majere: I'm glad you like the action and that Lily's not perfect- I try hard not to Mary Sue her!
uknowwhoslittleprincess: Aw,thanx! your story is really good, too.
PIGS*IN*A*BLANKET: thankyou!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you are so nice b/c ur a liar and you better update really really really soon!!
Thats all folks! AND ppppppppppppllllllllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!