What has been done? [open]

Lily climbed the steps of the astronomy tower in a trance-like state. Having woken in the Room of requirement in the early hours of the day she was still shocked by her behavior. She reached the door and gave it a gentle push, sighing with relief upon finding the room to be empty. Strolling over to the parapet she looked down over the railings at the ground far below her, millions of thoughts racing through her head that she wanted to shut out. How could I have been so stupid? Why would I do something like this? What's gotten in to me? She kept questioning herself, not knowing what was wrong with her, it was so unlike her to be this way. She moved from the railings to a wall, sliding down it to rest in a ball at the base of the wall, hands tangled in her hair, forehead resting on her knees.

Quietly, the boy snuck up the stairs. The astronomy tower had been a common meeting point for Rory's little group of friends, and he hadn't been there for a while. Between all the problems occuring in his family along with goading James into actually doing his homework and watching after Andy, things were getting hectic. Maybe a little too much so for the 15 year old. Rory pushed the dorr open, smiling a bit at the familiar creaking sound it made.

She raised her head from her knees as she heard the door creak, only able to see a shadow of a figure. She frowned, slightly annoyed by the disturbance. "Hello? Can I help you?" she questioned, her voice sounding cold and harsh in the empty room. She stares at the dark figure, trying to make out who it was that had disturbed her, for the room was so rarely used these days thanks to the prefect patrols.

Rory's green blue eyes flooded with confusion at the tone of the voice. He recognized it right away as his older cousins. Taking a hesitant step forward into the light, he looked down to her. "Lily?" He questioned, his ever present accent making the name sound odd as usual. "Wha's wrong?" He moved to sit next to her.

Her eyes widened and a look of pure joy spread across her face as the boy she recognised to be her cousin stepped in to the light. "Rory? Oh my goodness! I haven't seen you in so long!" she laughed lightly, as he moved to sit beside her. "Sorry, I'm.. a little shocked to see you. Nothing's wrong, I'm just thinking about things that happened yesterday. You won't know about it." she smiled and leaned lovingly on her cousin. "Where have you been hiding? I've not seen you in ages! Only those younger cousins of yours, causing mischief on the common room." she grinned at the thought of it.

Rory grinned and hugged his cousin as she leaned on him. "Sorry. Been.. Ah, busy." He smiled quickly, hoping to charm his way past details. He chuckled a bit. "Yeah, e'en Andy's been a bi' more a'tive since 'e got t'at mess mate o' his."

"Ain't we all." she said simply in return, thoughts returning to how she'd been keeping busy. She shook her head slightly, sitting upright once more. "I've noticed, it's nice that he's getting more actively involved in things." she smiled looking fondly at her cousin. "You're so good to them Rory, more a protective big brother than anything. I only wish you'd been around when I was younger." she laughed twirling her hair in her hands.

"'m glad, ye know. I worry 'bout 'em..." A fond smile stayed on his face as he thought of his younger cousin. "I've gotta watch 'em." He looked over to his cousin. "'m 'ere now, if you'll let me 'elp you."

She nodded, and held his hand. "I know you are, but.. unless you were to already know what I've got myself in to, I simply could not ask anything of you." Smiling, she looked in to his eyes, seeing such a kindness that she had never before seen in someone so young. "I don't want you worrying." she said finally, after a short pause.

He smiled a bit and squeezed his cousin's hand. "Lily..." He trailed off. "Basil told me." He looked at her, looking a bit uncertain. "'bout Lucifer." It had been just earlier that day he had run into Basil and she had told him the whole story.

She froze as he mentioned Basil's name. "Basil? Basil... knows? How?" her eyes widened as she thought of the person who had opened the door when she had been with Lucifer. "Oh no... she saw.. didn't she?!" She stared at the floor in front of her. "I didn't mean for... what have I done? Rory, you can't think badly of me for this. And you can't tell anyone, if Vine finds out..." she trailed off, frozen in horror.

"I... Lily..." He spoke quietly while she had her freak out. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Lily, you're me cousin. I ain't gonn' t'ink bad o' you. Alt'ough I am suspicious o' Black..." He frowned. A jolt of fear passed through him at the mention of the 7th year Slytherin boy. "I t'ought o' t'at to..." He turned to face Lily, trying to catch her eye and get serious. "Lily. I won' let 'em hurt you."

She shook her head, "Don't be suspicious of Lucifer, he's good to me. He's been a true friend recently, and this.. this wasn't his fault." Looking her cousin in the eye, she smiled weakly, "I know you won't, but I'm meant to be trying not to let anyone hurt you. If this was to get out... it wouldn't be me at risk." Her last words came out in a broken whisper, holding back a wave of sobs that she really didn't want to fall.

Rory's expression faltered for a moment. He wasn't sure what to think of Lucifer Black. One moment he was with Basil, while claiming that Rory was... Well, he was... Promised to him. No better than a piece or property. "Lily... W'at do ye mean by that?" What she mean it wasn't her at risk?

"Honestly, he's troubled, but he's not trouble" she said with a smile, seeing that he was uncertain about Lucifer still. She chewed her lip slightly, not wanting to tell him why she'd been so cosy with Vine for so long. "Sweetie, I do the things I do to protect my family and those I care for. You are my only family and by us acknowledging this, I've put your life in danger. Not only do I have to obey Vine in order to protect you, but there are people outside these walls after me, and if they have to kill everyone I love to do so, they will." She let out a shaky breath upon finishing. "It's not for you to worry about, everything is under control." she added with a smile.

The smile fell off Rory's face, leaving him looking confused, even a bit frightened. "You... You've been wit' Vine... T' protect me?" A flash of anger passed him. "You... Don' do t'at! Don' put yeself in danger 'cause o' me. Don' be wit' 'em. I..." He paused his worried frettings to search for words."'e could 'urt you! I don' doubt 'e already 'as..." The last part said quietly, under his breath. "I can take care o' meself, Lily. Don' worry about me. You should... Focus on school er somethin'."

She held him by the shoulders, "Rory, honestly, it's not the only reason I'm with him. I love him, truly I do, and we make a good team. The things we could do... but I have to be able to protect you." She shook her head as she heard his quiet words, refusing to acknowledge that she had indeed been hurt, after all, he had attempted to kill her not too long ago. "The safest I can be is with him. But I like him enough to not want to hurt him. And to fear him." she added the last words in a whisper, looking elsewhere as her hands fell from the boy's shoulders. "This is the best way for everyone."

"Lily..." He stared into his older cousins eyes. "Ye shouldn't be wit' someone yer scared o'. Ye should be wit' someone ye trust to love ye. Not someone who bullies you into stayin' wit' 'em..." He wrapped his arms quickly around his cousin, leaning his face on her shoulder. "Please don' do this to yeself..."

"He does love me." she stated with confidence, "He doesn't bully me, he protects me. Like you protect me. Like I protect all of you." She reached up and stroked his hair gently, "Rory, it's nothing. Everything is right, nothing wrong. The only wrong is me and my behavior, and the life I have lived."

Rory choose to believe her lie for now, much too tired with all his own families problems and now this. And then there was the perplexing situation of him and Lucifer. "Ye aren't wrong..." He muttered, mostly to himself. "It ain't ye're fault..."

She laughed lightly, "Everything's my fault Rory. Even I have come to accept that these days." She shrugged, shifting her position against the wall, to stretch her legs out in front of her. "How about you tell me what's going on with you? Enough of me and my stupid mistakes." she smiled, turning her face to his.

"Stop. Jus' stop. Stop beatin' yeself for everythin', you don' deserve it." He looked pleadingly to his older cousin. A sighed past him and he also moved a bit to re-arrange his own sitting position. "I's.... Complicated. I don' wanna talk about it..."

"Rory, don't tell me what I don't deserve. I deserve everything that comes to me." She stared at him, "If I want to beat myself up about things, then I will, because that is how I see things." She raised an eyebrow as he avoided discussion, "C'mon. You can tell me anything. If it's about this whole thing you've got with Lucifer, then I know about it. If it's not, then i'd like to know about it. So spill those beans farm boy." She grinned at him lovingly.

Rory shook his head again, not accpeting her self abuse. He let her hcange teh subject when she did. "No, it's not abou' 'em. Alt'ough I 'ave been thinkin' abou' t'at to..." He trailed off, staring at the floor. "But no, i's abou'.... Me Aunt Robyn. Andy and James' mum."

"Oh?" She frowned in concern, placing a hand over her cousin's. "Why? Is there something wrong with her Rory?" She looked at him, concerned. Why he would be thinking of his aunt she did not have a reason, and it worried her. She squeezed his hand encouragingly, a small small on her face.