Fractured paths

Confessions

The Christmas holiday flew past, and New Year's Eve arrived. Only Lily, the Marauders, Barty Crouch Jr., and a handful of others had stayed at Hogwarts over the break.

That afternoon, Lily tiptoed down the hall after Crouch as he slithered toward the library. Inside, she sneaked to the bookshelves and peeked between two heavy, old volumes. Where are you, slimy little—Ah! There!

"You're following Crouch?"

Lily started. "Peter!" The whisper came out harsh. "Don't scare me like that." She held a hand over her chest to keep her heart from hammering out.

"You shouldn't follow him around. He's dangerous," Peter said too loudly.

"Shh! He'll hear you!" She laid a finger over her lips in warning.

From his chair on the other side of the shelves, Crouch looked up, shrugged, and went back to what he was doing.

"What are you hoping to accomplish?" Peter hissed, voice much lower now.

"I don't know, but something needs to happen," said Lily.

"Well, Jennifer," said Crouch to Jugson, who sat beside him, as he leaned back in his chair, "it's so great everything's finally getting to be like it should. Don't you think? True full bloods getting proper respect, the muggles being treated like what they are—exactly what they are. No more glorifying mere animals. And the traitors are getting punished. Our New Year's Eve party is going to be great. It'll change everything!"

"Sure looking forward to it." Jugson nodded. "Where will it be again?"

"Headmistress's office, of course," said Crouch. "We'll all need to be there."

McGonagall's office? Tonight... Lily and Peter waited in silence until Crouch and Jugson left.

Lily hurried out of the library, and Peter followed her.

"You're not really going there, are you?" Peter said.

"Yes, I am. Something's going to happen up there. And don't you dare tell the others. They're busy. I need to go alone," said Lily.

"But... you can't! What if it's dangerous? What if you got discovered?"

"Then it's only me who'd get hurt."

"James wouldn't like that. Snape wouldn't either! No one would!" Peter tried to reason with her, as he huffed and puffed to keep pace. Finally, he swung in front of her and stood in her path.

"I'm not James, and I'm not Sev." Lily pushed past him. "Besides, I'm not exactly in mortal danger. I'm not stupid enough to do that to myself twice. It's just Hogwarts, and I already get detention all the time these days."

"But—" Peter didn't even get the chance to finish as Lily hurried off.

Hours later, Lily prepared to leave for Professor McGonagall's office, Marauder's Map in hand.

Everyone had stayed up to celebrate the new year, but now the Marauders were asleep, leaving Lily alone—just like she wanted.

She descended to the common room and headed for the portrait hole. Three quarters of the way across the room, she froze.

Something moved in the shadows behind one of the big armchairs. Peter stepped out, his skin pale even in the darkness, and his eyes were wide.

"You're going after Crouch," he whispered. "You can't."

"Clearly, I can," Lily said. "You don't like this sort of thing, so why don't you stay here?" She started toward the exit again.

"No! You can't go!" He took a step toward her.