Serana's POV:
They fell asleep. I don't know how. I couldn't. Maybe it was the fact that I had slept for almost an entire day, maybe it was the fear of dying, but it was most likely Sirius' face haunting my shut eyes, and all the dreams I had had since I got to the wretched place.
We had switched positions, so Charlie was laying in me, and Matthew on Charlie, but I was still wide away on Lily. I held her hand with all my force, making precipitation pour from both our hands.
I looked up at Lily. She was so...peaceful...when she slept. I didn't understand. She had so much to live for, it wasn't fair that she had to die. It wasn't fair that I pulled her into this mess.
"I'm sorry, Lily," I whispered, bringing her hand to my lips and kissing it. I shut my eyes, keeping my lips on her hand for a second longer, small tears falling from my eyes.
"It's all my fault. I wish I could get you out of this situation. I wish you could just go home."
Seconds later, the door rattled. I looked over at it. The others still slept. The small latch opened. I frowned. It wasn't feeding time.
I unlatched my hand from Lily's, and laid Charlie on Lily's lap. I didn't want to wake them, invade it was a false alarm.
I tried to walk over, by my weakness made my knees buckle. I fell to the ground. I groaned. I decided to crawl over to the latch instead.
A hand poked through latch, startling me. It waved around like mad, flinging itself up and down.
....Wait....
I knew that hand.
"Sirius." I grabbed his hand. He flinched, but soon realized who it was.
"Serana!" We interlocked our fingers.
"You came," I whispered through the door.
"Of course I did," he said, a quiet scoff in his voice. I laughed. We pressed our uncurled hands together.
"I missed you," he said. I smiled, although he couldn't see it.
"I missed you too."
"Serana?" I turned to see Lily's eyes flutter open. I grinned. I gripped onto Sirius' hand.

"I'm going to wake the others. You mind figuring out how to open this door?" I said. Sirius shook my hand.

"Of course, Darling." I felt my face flush. Darling.

I crawled over to the others.

"Lily, Sirius is here. He's come to save us. I don't think he's alone," I wispered. Lily's eyes snapped open. I shook Charlie's shoulder. The slumbering muggle slowly lifted her hand to her eyes to rub them.

"Wha-"

"Sirius is here," I whispered. She sat up quickly, flinging Matthew off her.

"Sorry," she mumbled as he groaned.

"what's going on?" He asked, mimicking Charlie rubbing her eyes.

"We're getting outta here." At the perfect time, Sirius flung the door open, sending light flooding in. The four of us covered our eyes. We hadn't seen that much light in a week and a half.

Sirius stood in the door way, only the silhouette of his body visable through the blinding light. Forgetting my weakness, I scrambled up and ran over to him, throwing my arms around his neck and burying my face in his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my head.

"I never thought I'd see you again," I whispered, tears threatening my eyes. Sirius laughed.

"I would have found you, even if it took a million years," he said.

"Alright, alright. Enough with this sappiness, it's time to get out of here," a voice said from the behind the light. I had almost thought we were going to make it out, until that voice spoke up.

"James!" Lily screamed. I tried to cover her mouth, ripping myself away from Sirius, but it was too late. Her scream would have echoed through the building by this time. Lily's face fell.

"I...I'm so sorry," she whispered. I shook my head.

"Its alright," I said, "We're still levaing."

James, Peter, and Remus ran into the room.

"Come on." James held his hand out to Lily. She took it, after a seconds hesitation, and the eight of them fled from the room. Remus and Peter led the way, Charlie and Matthew trailing just behind, Sirius and I behind them, and Lily and James behind us. The hallways were too narrow for all of us to run in them at the same time at the same speed.

Remus kicked the door open and ran out (Peter actually got out first, as he had jumped through a window a few feet away), followed by Matthew and Charlie. But one of the men stepped in front of the door before Sirius and I could escape. We skidded to a stop, Lily and James running into us. We turned for the other door, but the other man stood in front of that one. As a last resort, we turned back towards the hallway. Immerging from this hallway, was a woman. She was slender, and wore high heeled boots. She was tall, even without the boots.

"You sleep with those on?" Sirius asked. The lady chuckled.

"You have nerve, boy, wlaking into my house, unarmed and stealing my possesions," the woman said. I noticed an amulet dangling from her neck.

"Lily is not your possesion. Nor is she anyones," James seethed.

"And who said we weree unarmed?" Sirius falshed a cocky grin, pulling his wand from his belt.

"Sirius, no!" I tried, but he had already fired the spell. It flew towards the woman, but bounced off an invisible force field around her. Sirius frowned.

"The amulet," I whispered in his ear. It took him a few seconds to get it, but he didn.

"She's a smart one, isn't she?" The lady asked. She glanced at the men, "My brothers like smart women." The men cackled. A tingle went down my spin. I clung to Sirius' shirt. His glare hardened.

"Serana is not a woman, she's a girl," he said. I scowled. He looked back at me, "In a good way." I would have laughed, but in the situation I was in, I probably couldn't have forced myself to do it.

The woman started pacing around us, like a preadtor stalking her prey. James and Sirius stood on the outside of Lily and I, prepared to protect us from anything. I would have usually been standing around Lily with them, but I was far too frightened. I looked out the window. We were so close. I needed to think. How do I get out of here? What would Susan do? She'd shoot her captors, but I didn't have a bow. Then it hit me.

I pushed past Sirius.

"All we have to do is call," I said, glaring. Sirius frowned. Lily seemed to get it.

"We just need to get what we need," she added.

"We need to bring it too us." James and Sirius caught on. I looked out of the corner of my eye to see Sirius concentrating as hard as he could and flicked his wand just slightly. I grinned. I hoped they'd done what I wanted them too.

"You are strange children. I think I'll enjoy torturing you," the lady said. Lily scowled.

"What are you going to do to us?" Lily asked. The woman grinned at her brothers. My moment of victory fluttered away with that toothy grin.

"Trying to run away, and running is breaking the rules, and breaking the rules means punishment," she walked closer to us, the devilish smirk wide on her face, "I'll deal with the boys, bbut my brothers have an appointment with you and the smart one." She said.

"Lily's smarter than I am," I said, attempting, and failing, to sound intimedating.

"And you're not taking Serana anywhere," Sirius growled. The lady laughed. She flicked her wrist, and the men advanced. Where was my wand? It wasn't that far away, was it? Unless the boys' Aquio spell didn't work.

One of the men grabbed Lily. James and I ran towards him, but two more men came from the shadows. One took hold of me, one Sirius, and one James.

We were dragged to opposite ends of the rooms. I stood next to Lily. Lily's captor seemed more mature than mine. My captor had his hand around my neck, and was smeeling my hair.

"Bugger off you bellendy, clungey, nonce! You touch my friend I swear I'll shove my foot up your arse! I'll kill you you rat-arse! You hobknockers!" I screamed, trashing around. Lily, Sirius, and James stared at me with wide eyes. I'd never used one swear word, let alone 7 in one breath.

"Quiet," the man holding me hissed, "Your punishment is already as terrible as it is, don't make it worse for yourself." Lily struggled against the man holding her arms, but was held back. I whimpered.

"Not so tough now, huh?" I could feel him grinning. I shut my eyes, trying to keep my breath steady. I looked across the room at Sirius. He was glaring and struggling against the person holding him so hard, I thought he was going to dislocate his sockets and let his eye balls sink into the back of his head.

"I'll be okay," I told him. He shook his head.

"Ahhh, young love. It's so....how do I say?...Bitter sweet?" The woman said, 'Take the girls."

"NO!" All four of our voices rang out. The men started pulling us back down the hallway. We pulled, and we thashed, and we kicked, and we did everything humanly possible to escape the painful grip, but it was no use.

"Serana!"

"Lily!" I craned my neck around the corner.

"Sirius!" I screamed. He somehow managed to break away and ran towards me, but the woman got to him first. She pushed him against the wall and grabbed his face in her hands, glaring daggers.

"It'll be a pity to ruin such an innocent face," she sneered. Sirius looked over at me. My eyes widened, filling with tears. I pulled my arm free and reached out to Sirius. But it was pulled back too quickly. Lily's man had stopped to watch the comotion, as had mine. Tears fell down my face. I didn't want to die, not when I was so close to Sirius.

Just when we thought our lives would end, both doors flew open. Lily and I scream as glass from the windows shattered. The men let us go. We dropped like rocks and shuffled over to the boys. Both muggle cops and Ministry of Magic people flooded in. Lily, Sirius, James and I were huddled in the middle of the room, unable to move from the firing. The cops fired their rounds at the men and the woman, who weren't so keen on giving up easily. They hid undercover and grabbed weapons of their own, firing as well. I heard Lily scream, but I didn't think any of it. I was close to screaming as well. I covered my ears with my hands, Sirius curling over me. I felt a hand on my arm drag me upwards and towards the door. I don't remember much afterwards, but I do remember seeing the woman's dead body on the ground and reaching down to rip the amulet from around her throat.

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I woke up in Saint Mungos. My first thought was wondering if everything had been a dream, my second wondering why a dagger was lodged into my skull. Of course, it wasn't, but it felt as if one were. I attempted sitting up, but was pushed back down.

"Darling, you need to rest." Sirius. I flung my arms towards the voice. The sudden movement made me hop onto my knees. I hugged him as tight as I could, not ever wanting to let him go.

"I was so scared, Sirius," I whispered, tasting the river of salt running down my face.

"I know you were, Darling. I was too." i pulled away from him.

"You? Scared?" He wiped the tiears away with the back of his hand. His hands were gentle to the touch. I put my hand on his to keep it on my cheek. He smiled.

"I was scared for you," he said, kissing my head, "You look like a twig."

"I was trying to keep the others well fed. I guess I didn't think about the consequences," I said, sitting back into my bed.

"I think you knew what the consequences were, you just didn't care," he said. I turned my face away.

"You're rught," i sighed, 'I didn't care. I didn't care that not feeding me was going to kill me, that feeding Lily, and Charlie, and Jackie meant I had to die. I simply didn't care. And...I don't know why. It's not like I want to die, I just couldn't let the others starve," I said. Sirius chuckled.

"That's my River," he said. I smiled, turning back to face him.

"You're not going to be able to walk until we get your system going again, so you'll be in a wheelchair," he said.

"Take me to see Lily and Charlie and Jackie. are they okay? Is Emily okay? What's happened to the amulet? What about the men? Are they dead or are they going to jail? What of my wand-" Sirius stopped my babbling with a short kiss.

"I'll take you to see Lily. Charlotte and Matthew aren't in rooms," he said.

"Why is Lily then?" I asked as he helped me into the wheelchair.

"She got shot in the crossfire But she's okay, it was just her arm," Sirius said and pushed me from my room.

"After Lily can I visit Emily?" I asked. Sirius was quiet.

"Sirius?"

"Sure, Darling." Sirius wheeled me into Lily's room. She was awake in her bed, talking to James.

"Thank you, James. You saved my life today," Lily said, smiling at him. He grinned.

"That I did."

"You could be a little more modest. All knights are modest," she said, laughing.

"Well, I'm no knight in shining armor, Lily-pad, but I am a Seeker in a uniform." He winked at her. She shoved his chest with one arm, causing him to laugh.

"Hey, Lils, you alright?" I asked, Sirius wheeling me up to her bedside. Lily turned to me.

"I should ask you that question," she replied.

"But I asked you first." Lily sighed and rolled her eyes mockingly.

"basically, getting shot hurts," she said, pointing at her arm. I laughed.

"Kind of imagined that part."

We sat and chated for a few minutes, before a nurse came in nd said Lily needed to sleep.

The next two hours were a blur, I didn't get to see Emily, for my mother and brother came running over to yell at me about leaving my wand at home and going after Cahrlie wihtout help. I calmly explained to them that Lily and Matthew were there, but that didn't help. They then proceeded to yell at me for starving myself, but they didn't understand why I did it.

I was wheeled away from them (thankfully) and passed a Ministery person, who gave me my wand back. I was so happy to have it in my hand again.

'Are your arms getting tired, Sirius? I can wheel myself," I said. Sirius shrugged.

"I am your boyfriend. Some things I am entitled to doing, and wheelchair-ing you around the hospital is one of them. And one I'd do gladly." He kised my cheek. I smiled.

One the way back to my room, I saw Charlie sitting on a chair, sobbing into her hands. Matthew was sitting next to her, rubbing her back.

"Charlie?" I asked, looking back at Sirius. He pushed me over to her quickly.

"Grand...grandmother. They...they say she's...she's not going...going to make....make it," she cried. Apparently, someone had convinced the Ministery to let Emily be healed in the Wizarding part of Saint Mungos. I covered my mouth with my hands.

"No," I breathed, 'Sirius, take me to Emily."

The visit was short, for reasons you can probably figure out. The room was darkened. The nurses say it makes the...passing...more pleasent. I was wheled over to her bed. I grabbed her hand. She looked as if she were asleep, but at my touch, she lifted her head. She smiled at the sight of me. Her smile alone brought my own lips to crul upwards.

"Serana dear," she whispered, gripping my hand. Her voice was hard and raspy. It brought tears to my eyes, though I tried to keep a smile.

"Emily."

"Thank you for saving me, and my Charlotte. This past week and a half, the muggle doctors have tried healing me. But I've learned that even your magic can not save me," she said. I tightened my grip on her hand, lowereing my head.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. Emily laughed.

"You cannot control this. I am an old woman. I would have died eventually. But I'm glad i was able to see my grandaughter come home," she started coughing. When she stoped, she looked at me again, "I never told you, or Charlotte, how her parents died. Charlotte's mother was a witch. My daughter, a witch! But cahrlotte's father being a muggle passed on a dominant, non-magical gene. So Charlotte stayed a muggle. But, my daughter was in her house with her husband, while Charlotte was with me. She was very yong at the time.

"A young boy named Tom Riddle came inot their house, and killed both of them. I knew it was magic, and I knew I had to keep it from Charlotte. But I see now that, maybe if I hadn't, she could have protected herself, and not gotten you three dragged into this mess.

"I wanted to thankyou, my dear, for saving my grandaughter," she said.

"You've said that already," I said quietly.

"Thank you for savng my granddaughter." That was the last I heard from Emily. The monitor next to her beeped. The kind of beep that told you she wasn't coming back. I clamped my other hand over Emily's and sobbed.

******

Yeah!!! Everyone's alive! Expect for Emily. Sorry. I wanted to apolgize to my wonderful Anna. I told you she wasn't going to die, but then I decided it was best to kill her because she was super old and got hit really hard on the head. I don't think the would have survived. So anyway, sorry, and I can't wait to write the next chapter!