[HP] Complex Touch

"How could you let him go?" Lily hissed to Sirius. "I thought you were his best friend!"

"We are!" Sirius replied immediately.

"You're letting him die! Oh, it's terrible, we're all going to die! We're just students!" Lily cried in horror.

"Shut up!" Ginny snapped, her eyes wide.

There was silence.After a long time, Ginny began to worry.Although no Death Eaters had come to kill the three of them, they hadn't heard a word from James either.Ginny licked her lips nervously, looking at her two companions.Lily leaned weakly against the wall, her eyes staring sharply ahead.But Ginny was sure there were tears in her eyes.Sirius bit his lip and twisted the wand in his hand.

Then suddenly Lily stood up from the wall and walked quickly away from the safety of the Shrieking Shack.Ginny gasped and tried to grab her, but failed.Sirius chased after Lily.

"What are you doing?" Sirius asked softly.

Ginny watched as Lily turned the corner and disappeared from view.Sirius glanced at Ginny, then followed Lily, his wand raised in front of him.

"I won't let him die - oh!" Ginny froze at Lily's words, wondering what the other girl had seen.

Ginny took a deep breath, stepped out of the shadows, and turned the corner.The scene in front of her made her feel a wave of fear.The two Death Eaters whom James had intended to strike by surprise seemed to have the upper hand.James was lying on the ground, bleeding from his forehead.Sirius and Lily pointed their wands at the Death Eaters, and Ginny immediately raised her own.

One of the Death Eaters smiled at them.Ginny saw Lily gulp visibly, then straighten her back with a brave expression.Sirius watched the Death Eater with shrewd dark eyes.

"Look." The calm Death Eater looked at the students and said. "Four students wandering around without the protection of their dear school."

"One of them is already dead!" said the laughing Death Eater happily.

Time stopped because of his words.Ginny looked over at James' body, his head was bleeding, and her heart beat suddenly quickened.James can't die, he's not dead, oh Merlin...don't die!In an instant, time returned to normal, and Ginny had difficulty breathing.She struggled to catch her breath and gather her thoughts.

Did she change the future?She just prevented Harry from being born?Will Voldemort rule the world because of her stupid mistake?She befriends the Marauder and ruins everything.

"He found the book for a young girl who went to Hogwarts for help."

"Ginny... you're that girl."

She is meant to be here.

"You... how do you know I'm going to be there for a long time?"

"Because I remember, Ginny."

James is not dead.

"Are we going to be friends?"

"You'll find out for yourself."

They're going to beat these Death Eaters no matter what.Ginny licked her lips again, then raised her eyebrows suspiciously.

"I don't believe you," Ginny said simply.

She raised her wand, and the Death Eater watched her from beneath the mask that hid her face.Ginny lifted her chin when a Death Eater hissed at her.

"Stupid girl," said the Death Eater. "Are you blind?"

"No." Ginny called. "Do I look blind?"

Ginny heard Lily take a breath and saw Sirius looking at her in shock.They get it, they'll get it soon...they gotta get it.

"I don't think you're blind," replied the Death Eater. "But you don't look stupid, I just found out that you are quite difficult."

The Death Eater who had been laughing before was now looking at the two of them with interest, giggling.Ginny wished she had thoughts, if only Sirius and Lily knew what she wanted to do.But how would they know?They probably thought she was foolishly trying to give them time to come up with a plan.

"I bet I could wake him up," Ginny said to the Death Eater. "Want me to prove it?"

"If you insist." The Death Eater waved at James' body.

Ginny walked towards James' fallen body, and Sirius seemed to know what to do at this moment.He didn't say the spell aloud, and Ginny jumped back in surprise when a red light brushed past her and hit the Death Eater she was talking to.Lily's spell followed Sirius's, hitting the other Death Eater before he could turn his back.

The two Death Eaters passed out on the ground.Ginny rushed to James, casting a healing spell on him.He opened his eyes slowly, and Ginny reached out and picked up his glasses from the floor.He took it over and put it on, squinting his eyes and sitting up.James quickly staggered to his feet, and Ginny reached out, grabbed his waist, and helped support him.

Sirius stared at James in extreme horror, looking as if he was going to throw up.Lily held her head with the same expression.Ginny waved her wand at the Death Eaters, trying to tie them up.When James wobbled again, Sirius took him from Ginny.Still looking worried, Sirius patted James' chest with his hands, as if to make sure James was really here.

"James, you have to concentrate," Ginny said forcefully, cupping James' face in both hands. "We still have to go through Hogsmeade, and you must be ready for more battles."

"More fights?" Lily asked faintly. "I hardly... you... Ginny, I'm so scared."

Ginny looked at Lily sympathetically.When she realized that James might not be dead, they all thought he was, and she knew they'd all get through it, but they didn't.She has terrible advantages that they will never have.But she can help them.

"We must go back to Hogwarts," Sirius said.

James listened carefully to Ginny's words, and shook his head a few times, trying to wake up.Ginny walked up to Lily, grabbed the older girl by the shoulders, and held her upright, and they looked into each other's eyes.They have to be ready.Apparently, this was Lily, James, and Sirius' first fight, and they weren't in combat...it would kill them.

"You're not going to die," Ginny told her. "You won't die, you remember. But you have to fight for your life, see? When we get to Hogsmeade, there's going to be a battle there. You've got to fight to save yourself."

Lily just nodded numbly.

"And help save the three of you." Lily continued.

Ginny felt herself lift the corners of her mouth into a smile.Lily wasn't as bad as Ginny thought...

Ginny turned to the two boys and found James standing on his own now, Sirius talking to his friend, James shook his head, then gave Sirius a hug.After a few minutes, the hug was over and Sirius seemed in a much better mood.James reached out and grabbed the invisibility cloak under his feet, stuffing it into his schoolbag.

"Ready?" Ginny asked kindly.

The three Gryffindors nodded, and Ginny turned in the direction of Hogsmeade.They couldn't hear anything, which didn't mean the Death Eaters weren't attacking yet.Perhaps, the Death Eaters weren't attacking and were just waiting for something... or someone.The thought made Ginny's lips quiver.It must be something important that Voldemort wanted.

But they'll get through it anyway.Ginny tied up her hair and started walking.Four students jumped over the fence and walked down the path.Ginny clutched Sirius' sleeve nervously.He looked down at her.

"You just saved our lives," Sirius said softly. "What are you worried about?"

"One more time," Ginny joked.

Sirius smiled, then disappeared.The lights of Hogsmeade flashed before their eyes.Ginny and Sirius fell silent.There were no screams, but many cloaked figures walked the streets.An attack is about to happen.Then, Lily spoke.

"What if the professor catches us?" Lily asked seriously.

James, Sirius, and Ginny all turned to Lily with ridiculous expressions.Then James started laughing, and he raised his hand to wipe the blood off his face, which made his face worse, and Ginny looked away.Sirius muttered something under his breath, and Ginny strained her ears to hear him clearly.