Author's Note: This is one of those chapters that when you read it, or you read a certain part, you go "Ohmigod why didn't I work that out before?!" because as I said, nearly everything has a significance. Oh and I think this chapter will answer most of your questions. Thanks for reviewing to those who have done so, review if you haven't already and if you have REVIEW ANYWAY! xx

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and all that. Blah. :P

Love or Hate:

The Tale of Red Snitch

Chapter Twenty-Five: Dark skies above

"So what are you going to do about it?" asked Terry Jones. "Are you going to dump her?"

James, whose head was in his hands, groaned. "I don't know. I don't really want to. But I kind of can't not… aargh. I'll just go along with whatever. See how it goes."

"But you don't want to keep changing tack," interjected Frank. "Best have one idea about what you're going to do and stick to it."

This was not sounding promising to James, who was already dreading seeing Lily again. He knew he wouldn't bear a grudge against her, but he also knew that he couldn't forgive her straightaway. Honestly, he had been hurt. Deeply hurt. Betrayed by both somebody he believed to be his best friend, and his girlfriend—at the same time. It was a real, living, nightmare. And it was made worse by the fact that he was stuck here in the Hospital Wing with a bleeding lip and broken rib. He was very glad Lily couldn't see him now. Still, at least she'd been loyal to him when he fought Sirius, that he would keep in mind. It was not as if—

"James?"

He was quickly brought out of his reverie by this, along with the fact that somebody seemed to be nudging him; he looked around wildly to find that Tery, Peter and Frank were all staring at him. Frank indicated he look at the entrance of the Hospital Wing—where Severus Snape was standing, looking rather bedraggled.

"So, do you know where she is?" asked Snape hesitantly.

"Who?"

"Li—I mean, Evans. Evans."

"I've no idea, why?"

"It's really important. I need to tell her something. It's urgent."

James narrowed his eyes at his rival suspiciously. "What are you up to?" he demanded. 'Why do you want her and what are you going to do with her?"

"All I want is to tell her something. It's not me that wants to do something to her." Snape glared at him.

"Who is it? Why?"

"I can't tell you right now. I have to find her before anything else."

"Well what are you waiting for?!" barked James, making him jump. "Go!"

Snape scarpered, apparently not wanting to dwell with the Gryffindor boys in the austere Hospital Wing any longer.

"Do you believe him, James?" asked Peter.

"I don't know," he replied begrudgingly and grimly, "but whatever it is, it's not good."

-xXx-

Meanwhile, the party inside the Great Hall did not seem to be begrudging or grim. In fact, it seemed the opposite—everybody was laughing, dancing and singing along to the music. Somebody had enchanted the candles to change colour every few seconds, from orange to green to red to blue to yellow and so on. A rock band was playing loudly on the 'stage'—the four long House tables pulled together. The band was belting out their words and the crowd were loving it, screaming along to the tune. That meant that when a thoroughly weak-feeling Remus Lupin was trying to get through and find a familiar face, he found himself in a pretty difficult situation. It took him ten whole minutes to push his way through the packed mass of dancing people, and even then he was left dazed, his head swimming. He had acquired a headache that pulsated almost in time to the music. But no, no. He must not lose focus.

As he reached the other side of the Great Hall he realised that nobody he was looking for was here. His heart raced as he decided where to go first: Hospital Wing or Gryffindor Tower? He knew that he could get to the Tower quickly, if he ran…

The next thing he knew, he skidded round the corner to the entrance to Gryffindor Tower only just avoiding an almighty crash. "Mistletoe!" he shrieked to the Fat Lady, who was asleep in her portrait. She did not move.

"Wake, dammit!" he yelled to the portrait. "This is an emergency! MOVE!"

The Fat Lady awoke at this noise. "What's the password?" she asked.

"Mistletoe, I already said!!" shouted Remus.

"Alright, alright," muttered the Fat Lady grumpily, as she swung open.

Immediately he clambered inside. To his horror, nobody seemed to be there. "ALICE! MARLENE!" he roared, loud as he could. Soon the two girls appeared at the top of the staircase.

"Remus!!" said Alice, surprised. "What's up? Why are you calling us?"

"Come down and I'll tell you the whole story!"

The girls hurried down.

"Listen," he started, breathing fast, "we don't have much time. Lily's gone, she's been taken. If we don't scene fast then… I dunno, but we can't afford to—"

"Who?"

"We can't afford to waste time!" snarled Remus. "Look, what happened was this…"

And he told them.

-xXx-

Lily was shivering uncontrollably. The icy December air was biting into her and she was surrounded by the cruel snow she's watched fall earlier. The skies above were dark so she couldn't see a thing either. And yet, she couldn't do anything about it. She was stuck, victimised, trapped in a situation she couldn't get out of.

She knew they weren't in the school ground any longer. She couldn't even see the castle now, as tress obscured her view of it. What she assumed to be trees, anyway—it was just some dark mass in front of her.

She wanted to scream out, cry out. She couldn't though; she'd been magically bound to silence with Silencio!. Not only that, but there was no-one there to hear her. After all, there wasn't going to be many people walking around at midnight on cold snowy mountains on Christmas Day. The only consolation was that she'd been promised they would go back soon, tomorrow even. All she had to do for now was last the night. The next day would be different, very different. There was a plan she would be forced into participating in. And apparently she wouldn't be the one doing very much.

Behind her she could feel her captor's eyes upon her. She didn't dare turn around. Not for fear of being hit, or hexed, but because the last thing she wanted right now was to be reminded of the events of this day. This night, which she had been determined to enjoy and make th best of, had turned into something worse than she could ever have imagined. And therefore something that she could never, ever, forget.

END OF CHAPITRE VINGT-CINQ!

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