Full moon,march 1975

Lily had asked professor slughorn for special permission to be out of bed past nine to collect some nectar from the flowers of Plenilunium flora or full moon flower as it was more commonly called. This flower only bloomed on the full moon and lily wanted to attempt a complex night vision potion that had that flower's nectar as an ingredient. So at about 9:30 Lily made her way from the Gryffindor common room and out onto the grounds. She could see the full moon rising on the horizon and hoped she would be able to see the flower open. She made her way over the still partially frozen ground to the first greenhouse which housed the safer plants in Hogwart's inventory. Near the back Lily found the cluster of buds and was delighted to see that she hadn't missed them opening. As she watched the buds opened the the petals unfurled and she gasped at its opalescent beauty. It shimmered in the light streaming in from the windows all around and she sighed in awe. Lily stared for a moment before remembering that she was supposed to be collecting its nectar and bent to retrieve some.

Half an hour later she had collected two small vials of the nectar and began to return to the castle. It was getting late and she wanted to get some sleep so she could study transfiguration at breakfast the next morning.

As she approached the castle doors a distant howl made her turn. She scanned the tree line of the forbidden forbidden forest, and saw nothing. She was about to continue when she heard it again. She turned once more and one thing caught her eye. The Whomping Willow was frozen.

Approaching cautiously lest it be a trick, she noticed a small hole that looked like the entrance to a tunnel.

Lily hesitated. She should head back and go to sleep, her pass only allowed her to be out to collect the nectar and Lily always followed the rules, that's why she had been made prefect this year. But there was something suspicious about this tunnel. It shouldn't be here.

Another howl ripped through the silence and made Lily jump. She should have turned and run, but she wasn't a Gryffindor by accident, instead she crawled carefully into the hole, wand out.

The tunnel was very dark and Lily had to mutter "lumos" to see where she was going.

The farther she got the more she could hear. A grunting like that of a horse or a stag… a whimper from a dog… the squeak of a rat… and a low growling that chilled her bones.

When she emerged she saw the most bizarre scene she had ever seen. A werewolf which was easily 10 feet tall was reared up facing a large stag with its horns pointed in attack against the werewolf. On the ground behind the stag was an injured dog that was whimpering softly and a rat flung next to it.

Lily gaped in horror as the werewolf sniffed the air and turned its beady yellow eyes to her.

All ability to think or move left her body as she froze in the monsters gaze and stood petrified as it fell to all four paws and approached her slowly and maliciously. Suddenly James Potter, of all people, was in front of her wand out screaming at her to run back, but she was frozen she couldn't even move to close her mouth.

The werewolf lunged and Lily snapped out of her daze.

"Protego!" She yelled casting the shield charm in front of her and James.

The werewolf bounced off of an invisible barrier and and began to ominously pace behind it.

"Lily! What the bloody hell are you doing here?! What were you thinking?!" James roared at her.

Stunned Lily turned back to the werewolf. "That's Remus isn't it?" She said quietly.

James paled next to her. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

Lily turned to the big black dog and the plump rat, both of whom looked very injured. "Those are Sirius and Peter," she said slowly and quietly, comprehension dawning on her.

"Lily, why are you here?"

"I heard the howling, shouldn't he be in the shack for this?"

"Yes, but we were late and he changed before we got to the shrieking shack."

"Well let's get him in." Lily mentally reviewed any knowledge of werewolves she knew before coming up with her plan.

"James, when I say so be prepared to shut and lock the door of the shack behind Remus."

He nodded, but looked confused.

Lily took a deep breath and pushed her deep red hair back from her emerald green eyes.

"Aguamenti!" She called, water sprayed from the tip of her wand and hit Remus the werewolf, he howled and backed up closer to the shack.

Lily smiled to herself, her plan might work.

"Aguamenti!" She called again spraying more water at Remus.

She continued spraying him until he was at the door of the shack.

"Ventus!" She yelled, a jet of hot air flew from her wand pushing the werewolf forcefully back into the shack.

"Now!" She called to James and he rushed to shut the door of the shack. Lily heard the lock click before a loud thud sounded as the werewolf slammed into the door.

James turned to her grinning, but Lily had already turned to Sirius and Peter. They're animagi forms were deeply wounded, but she didn't know enough about animagi to know what that meant for they're person.

"That was impressive," James said from behind her.

Lily stood from where she had been kneeling over the boys and found herself inches from James' face. Lily started and backed up. She thought back for a moment and looked around for he stag which had been fighting the werewolf before, but she slowly realized he must be standing in front of her as James Potter.

"You three are unregistered animagi?" She accused him.

"Well… yes but only so we could be with Remus when he turned." Lily thought that was actually rather nice but her concern now was with the injured forms of Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew.

"So what happens if you get injured in your animal forms? Do the wounds transfer?"

James nodded solemnly.

Lily cursed silently under her breath.

"Can you make them come back to their human form?" Lily asked.

James shook his head.

Lily turned back to the limp forms of Peter and Sirius. She examined Sirius and then Peter's wounds and began thinking hard. What was the charm to heal cuts and scrapes?

"Terego," Lily said pointing her wand at the wounds. The blood faded and Lily could see the open wounds. She frowned and thought. Severus had told her a curse he had made up and the counter curse also, it had to do with cuts perhaps…

"Vulnera Sanentur," she whispered mentally praying it would work, these were serious wounds if they weren't closed quickly… she shuddered slightly.

To Lily's great surprise and delight the wounds began to knit themselves back together and the skin patched up.

Lily heard a gasp behind her and could practically feel James' inane smirk.

Sirius transformed and his head rolled as he groaned softly. Peter also transformed and blinked widely in his back before struggling to sit up.

Lily let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and stood.

James bent to help his friends up.

"What happened?" Sirius asked in a strained voice.

"Remus swiped at you and you thudded to the ground, then nurse Evans over here healed your sorry arses." James answered with a smirk.

"Thanks," Sirius muttered.

Peter nodded appreciatively with a dazed sort of look on his face.

Lily nodded in recognition and began to walk back to where the tunnel opened up.

"Wait! Evans!" She heard James yell from behind her.

Lily sighed and whirled around to find James looking down at her and smiling broadly.

"Wow, I mean I knew you were good, top of the class and all, but that was really impressive."

Lily considered her arsenal of usual responses to James' attempts of wooery. None seemed appropriate so she just stood and waited for him to let her go.

"Listen, Lily-"

"Was that my first name Potter?"

"I use it in important scenarios." He muttered defensively. "Anyway, you can't tell anyone about Remus, he's afraid enough already and nearly nobody knows so… just please don't say anything?"

James looked at her pleadingly. Lily stared into his eyes, and saw with surprise, concern. James was really concerned about Remus, and his secret.

"Does professor Dumbledore know?" Lily asked cautiously.

James nodded, still with the same pleading expression.

"Alright."

James let out a great sigh of relief and smiled a big goofy smile.

"Thanks, Lils." He whispered softly.

Lily felt her heartbeat speed up for no reason.

James' expression got serious again, "Please don't say anything about Sirius and Peter being unregistered animagi, I know you hate me so I won't ask you to keep my secret, but please don't say anything about them?"

Lily sighed, "I won't say anything about any of what I saw tonight. I was out collecting nectar then I returned to the castle. I didn't hear a werewolf, I didn't see any unregistered animagi and I returned to the castle promptly."

James smiled broadly, "Thanks Lily, I owe you."

Lily nodded but didn't say anything. She wasn't sure why she was promising this, she was a prefect she was supposed to keep everyone following the rules. Why was she promising this arrogant slime ball to protect his secret? If she told someone he'd be expelled and she would be rid of him! That's why she wanted, right? She wasn't sure what was happening to her but decided she'd better not stick around and find out.

Lily turned on her heel and marched purposefully to the tunnels exit and crawled back.

She thought about the evenings events when she was safe in her four poster back at Gryffindor tower. James Potter's number one concern had been protecting his friends, was he maybe not an arrogant prat?

Lily shook her head and rolled over into sleep.