Figer Against the Sun
You can't block the sun with a finger. You just can't. It's impossible. Lily had tried to stop Sirius and James and Peter from getting blinded that very way once in their second year, after they overheard a conversation she was having with Mary where she used said saying.
She wished it was that easy this time, to save her friend. Those idiots you just had to let them hurt just a little bit and they learnt on their own after the first time. But Pandora is bound by her own prophecy. And no help will change that. Lily gets that. And if she tries to tell the rest, break her promise, it will just turn out worse, they'll try to stop it, they'll stand guard around Panda or something and end up killed or beaten and Pandora kidnapped still. Which works for no one but the dark lord.
She stared at the flickering flames in the common room, the fireplace, she was tried, the warmth drawing her in and threatening to put her to sleep. Her sleep loss from the party the last night wasn't helping either. But that bugging feeling like she had to do something even if it was not changing the prophecy was still there. And no warmth from no fireplace would take away the chill that ran down her spine since she told her.
She glanced around the room, James was thrown across a couch, taking up half the couch, with his legs tangled with Sirius, taking up the other half of the four-person couch. He laughed and regaled at their adventures from last night. Sirius told how him and Alexander ran from Umbridge in a tale comparable to the Odyssey. A few of the younger kids from Dumbledore's Army sat nearby paying attention to their mischief, probably concocting ideas of their own. It was just, seeing them so carefree, so full of life, it felt right, but still it gnawed at her. She couldn't take it away from them so soon after they got it back.
No, she promised Pandora. Not yet.
"Anything on your mind, Lily?" Remus put a heavy hand on her shoulder. A comforting weight, that would try to shield her from anything that came their way.
"No, nothing."
"Sure? You seem troubled." He sat beside her, just looking at the fireplace with her.
She hesitated, she could feel the tension between the promise she made to Pandora, everything terrible that could come from telling them all before it happened; and Remus' low breath, tired probably, still, offering a helping hand.
"I promised not to say anything." Lily rested her head on his shoulder. A moment away from spilling it. The weight was already lightening.
"Don't you go stealing my Moony, Evans." She heard Sirius call from behind them, before feeling the impact of a soft pillow on their backs.
"He was mine first, you dog!" She threw it back, effectively throwing Sirius into a pillow fight with James and Peter. She turned and set her head back on Remus.
"I'm good at keeping secrets." He said in one simple hushed breath.
"Promise you won't say." Remus was good at keeping things at bay, mostly his emotions, he could keep his cool most of the time. But he was terrible at not doing stuff. He didn't talk about it, no. But he did show up with their Potions homework second year when Lily was sick in the hospital wing. And he did get Sirius that leather jacket he wanted for his birthday. And he did sneak Peter a pack of every-flavoured beans every time he snuck out for cigarettes. And he did bring an extra pack in case someone was out of them. So she couldn't trust him with it. Not really.
"I promise."
"Promise you won't try to do anything."
Now he hesitated. Lily felt him tense from his neck to his shoulder. "I can't."
"It's alright." Lily nodded to herself, "it will be, at least."
"So it's another prophecy? That's why you don't want to say."
"It's why I promised not to say." Lily said. They were still tense, the both of them now. But at least she felt the burden a little lighter. It was, after all, just a matter of time.
BREAKING NEWS. Distressed Wizengamot Official announces Mass Brakout.
LONDON - The Ministry of Magic is in disarray tonight, following a reported breakout from Azkaban, the notorious wizarding prison for convicted criminals. An emergency session of the Wizengamot has been called, with the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge expected to address the public shortly.
Early reports suggest that a significant number of the escapees were high-profile Death Eaters. Who managed to escape unchallenged. Details remain scarce, but sources within the Ministry claim powerful dark magic was involved in the breach. Escapees include Antonin Dolohov, Bellatrix Lestrange, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, Mulciber, Alastor Avery, Gideon Rookwood and Lucretia Malfoy, Among others.
This unprecedented event has cast a dark shadow over the wizarding world. Azkaban, long considered an impenetrable fortress, has been breached for the second time in Minister Fudge's term. Escapee Mass Murderer and notorious Death Eater Sirius Black broke out just short of two years ago. Questions are swirling around the Minsitry's handling of prison security and their ability to recapture these inmates amidst rumours of the Dark Lord coming back.
The news of the breakout has sent shockwaves through the community, particularly those who fought the previous war, as many fear this mass escape signifies a resurgence of the Dark Lord, even when the Minister has been adamant about those rumours being false. Still, we fear a return to the dark days of the second wizarding war.
All eyes are now on Minister Fudge, who is expected to address the wizarding community promptly.
"No, really, I was dying for a smoke. Haven't smoked since Friday," Alexander was already on his second fag of the morning. "'Cause turns out what's-his-name, has asthma, so I couldn't smoke after we..." he touched the tips of his fingers in an attempt to communicate an obscene scene.
" Snogged? Fucked? Porked? Got down and dirty?" Mary laughed taking a drag out of her own.
"Merlin Mary, do you always have to be so vulgar?" Lily was, in an out of the ordinary turn of events, on her fourth cigarette, something was very much on her mind.
"Why do you tell me? He's the one talking about it."
"It's all about how you talk about it." Sirius decided to be part of this, which was a dumb decision.
"So you want to tell us about that last Monday rendezvous in the quidditch closet..." Alexander poked him.
"I beg of you stop right there." Regulus swallowed the smoke from his cigarette.
"Oh begging now, are we?" Alexander turned to him with a devilish grin and Regulus went a flash of red before a pale cold look settled in his eyes.
"Shut up now." Marlene was clearing her throat from the entrance to their secret balcony on the astronomy tower. "I think it's about time that our guest of honour tries to smoke." She pointed with a vicious smile at James, who'd woken up early to be there and then spent the time innocuously against a pillar.
"Oh, shit mates." Sirius put a cigarette between his fingers and Mary lit it. "Here it goes, I guess."
"Relax Prongy, you can do it."
"Just hand it over!" He snatched the fag from Sirius' hand, already lit. He put it carefully in between his lips, and he took one long drag, the smoke being drawn into his mouth, the little embers lighting up and out.
His eyes widened. A sharp cough racked his body, his face contorting and he started to cough! And cough! And cough!
"Merlin Cap, no need for theatrics." Marlene took the cigarette from him. The bunch laughed.
He stumbled back, against the balcony's rail, gasping for breath. His face was turning red.
The amusement turned into concern quick as it came.
"Can't... breath..." James was hitting his chest with his palm.
"James?!" Lily and Sirius rushed next to him. Panic was building up in Sirius' face, he hadn't ever seen James like that. No curse hit him, he didn't know what to do.
Lily though, "alright James," she grabbed his back and his side, putting herself next to him. Sirius copied her, she guided James to the ground, sitting with his back straight.
"Follow me," She said, took a deep breath in, a deep breath out.
Deep in. Deep out.
James followed, slowly, until he got there, and he wasn't struggling too much, "Dorcas, you're taking those classes from Pomfrey on medical spells right?"
Lily looked at her, not moving from James' side. Dorcas nodded, hastily, pulling out her wand, "I need you to do something to open up his lungs and his air flow tubes space, I'm sorry I don't know the terms."
"No worries, I got the gist," Dorcas knelt in front of James and waved her hand, holding her other hand like she was guiding the light blue light that emanated from it and came to contact with James' chest.
"How's it feeling James?" He was calming now, his breathing normal, not too deep not too shallow, calm, normal, regular breathing.
"Better, fine actually."
"Whatever in Merlin's asshole was that?" Sirius threw himself on his back on the floor, like he was the one going through it.
"Muggles call it asthma, my sister has it." Lily untied her hair from her ponytail, "Try not smoking anymore James. Or being near smoke generally."
"So like? What's? Asthma?" James fixed his glasses and turned to face Lily.
"That's as far as my medical knowledge goes James, sorry. I just know triggers, things like smoke, make it go haywire and your lungs and throat and stuff closes up."
"That was brilliant Lils," Mary lit another cigarette, made sure to blow the smoke in another direction. Got a stare from Lily and Sirius. "What? That was stressful, I smoke to chill."