Lily sat, cross-legged, in front of one of the many tall bookcases in the library. A thick volume rested on her lap, and she scanned the pages quickly. A picture of a werewolf howled at the moon, over lines and lines of minuscule font.
"The lycanthrope is a dangerous animal-man hybrid. When turned, it is dangerous to all humans. In order to hunt it most effectively, the witch or wizard in question must be an Animagus that is not an animal of which the lycanthropes' prey on. In this way, humans can approach turned lycanthropes without danger, which makes it exponentially easier to slay these offending creatures."
"Where are you going?" Lily asked groggily, body heavy with sleep. Reaching out with a hand, she managed to snag a corner of James' shorts as he moved away from her, clambering out of bed.
"I have to go back to my dormitory," James whispered, stroking her hair as he sat on the edge of the hard mattress.
"But you never have to go," Lily said petulantly, still half asleep.
"I heard that McGonagall's checking rooms tonight," James replied. "Goodnight, I'll see you in the morning."
The last thing Lily remembered before she fell back asleep was the bright gleam of the full moon through the tall windows, hanging against the backdrop of a star-studded sky.
"Bye, Lily," James said, gathering up the textbooks scattered across the table. He shoved them haphazardly into his bag and slung it over his shoulder.
"Bye," Lily replied automatically, not lifting her head from where it was buried under piles of books and parchment.
"Curfew's in a few minutes, better wrap up soon," James reminded her, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before rushing out of the library.
Belatedly, Lily looked up just in time to see James turn and walk in the complete opposite direction of the Gryffindor Common Room, heading instead toward the Great Hall.
Frowning to herself, Lily returned to her work.
"Where are you going?"
James, one foot halfway through the portrait door, looked back at her with a deer-caught-in-the-headlights look on his face. Lily could see him quickly masking his surprise, schooling his features into an utterly innocent expression.
"Nothing," he replied, hastily. "Just going to the library to study." He waved around a blank piece of parchment in the air.
"It's after curfew."
"That's why I'm bringing the Invisibility Cloak," James explained, patting a square bulge underneath his robes.
"You know I don't like you going out after curfew, James. You're bound to get caught and lose us house points!"
"I won't get caught, I have the Cloak. Sirius, Remus, and Peter will be with me, anyway."
"How're you going to fit all of them under the cloak, too?"
Too late, James realized that he'd said too much. "We just won't get caught."
"You can't guarantee that," Lily said.
"We've been sneaking out for years; I'm sure we won't get caught. Sorry, I really have to go," James smiled apologetically and made a quick escape through the portrait door.
With a low gasp, Lily realized what had been right in front of her all those years — what she had just discovered through the eyes of a werewolf hunter.
"Have you seen my Invisibility Cloak?" James asked.
"No," Lily replied. "Why?"
"I can't find it anywhere," James replied. "Where could it possibly be?" He left, muttering to himself under his breath.
Lily smiled to herself. She remained sitting in the Common Room, working on her Potions essay (it had to be at least a roll of parchment long; she was halfway through) until, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted James slipping out of the portrait door.
Capping her ink and setting her work aside, Lily grabbed her wand and stood up to follow her boyfriend.
Once outside, Lily looked around. For a moment she couldn't locate James anywhere, but once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see a dark shape rushing off towards the Entrance Hall.
Pulling the Invisibility Cloak out from under her robes, she clumsily tugged it on as she walked, following James as quietly as possible.
Hidden fully under the Cloak, Lily successfully followed James through the castle's large front doors to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. The timing was just right, but without the moonlight she was trapped in near pitch-darkness, clumsily but carefully trying to pick her way through the roots and branches without being heard.
When they were both fully under the cover of the trees, Lily decided it was safe to pull off the Cloak without the possibility of being seen from the castle.
"James!"
James whirled around, wand drawn and at the ready. Realizing that it was his girlfriend, he lowered his wand but did not put it away.
"What are you doing out here? It isn't safe at night," James said, worry coloring his voice.
"I should be the one asking you that," Lily retorted. "It isn't safe for you, either. Where are you going?"
"I was just heading over there," James hedged, pointing vaguely in the direction of the Whomping Willow.
"Stop making excuses. I know it's you," Lily said, folding her arms across her chest. She looked up at the sky through the forest foliage, suddenly feeling fearful. The moon would rise soon, and the forest was very, very dark. "Just admit it already."
"What's me?" James asked, exasperation and worry in his expression. "I haven't done anything."
"I know you're a werewolf! You keep leaving to who knows where every month at the full moon! I see you sneak out of the dorms, James. I followed you out here. I'm not an idiot."
James stared blankly at her for a moment, and then smirked. "I'm not a werewolf. Trust me on that one."
"Stop lying to me. It's not attractive."
"You want to see my secret?" James asked, spreading his arms wide. "Do you really want to know?"
"I already DO know!"
James took a deep breath. "Prepare for me to say I told you so," he said, and suddenly James was gone. In his place stood a silver stag. Light emanated from its body, shining brightly in the darkness of the forest. It radiated happiness, strength; a sense of belonging. Suddenly, Lily didn't feel afraid anymore.
Lily opened her mouth, and then closed it again. The silence was deafening. "Animagus?" she finally whispered.
The stag nodded its head and took a step forward, making Lily shrink back to dodge its antlers, a giggle of disbelief escaping her.
"But—you—full moon—and—what?"
The stag inclined its head and before Lily could blink, James, handsome and cocky, stood in front of her once again. The wind swept his dark hair to one side, and Lily found herself staring at him in wonder. How had the prankster who never paid attention in class become an Animagus, of all things?
Lily shook herself, trying to look stern again. "Why are you sneaking off every month at the full moon, then, if you're not a werewolf?"
"It's not me. It's Remus."
Lily gaped at him as all the information in her mind clicked into place like the pieces of a puzzle.
James grinned at his girlfriend. "C'mon, let me take you back to the castle," he said. "It's not safe for you to be out here."
"Oh, before I forget, here." Sheepishly, Lily handed James back the Invisibility Cloak. "Sorry."
"So that's where it was," James mused and then looked at her, impressed. "You stole them without me even noticing. Good job, actually."
Lily smacked him across the shoulder.
"Let's go, then, shall we?" James said, grinning. He glanced back towards the Willow. Maybe the others wouldn't mind if he was a bit late, just this once.
Lily smiled and let him lead her back to the castle, their hands linked together as they walked.
Quidditch League Fanfiction Contest
Season 4, Finals Round 1, OTP Chaining
Holyhead Harpies, Keeper
Prompt: Write about Jily, and include an example of juxtaposition and a flashback/forward.
Word Count (Google Docs): 1,319
Special thanks to my amazing beta, Naism (natida)!
Just to clarify: The sections in italics are the flashbacks. All the flashbacks are a part of the scene in the library, while the scene in the Common Room/Forest is a separate scene.
The juxtaposition is shown in two places: shining brightly in the darkness of the forest and the silence was deafening. It's also implied that Lily suspects that something dark is happening to James, but in the end she sees him, the stag, as something so beautiful in a dark place, and the fact that he's been able to go through so much effort and hardships to actually become an Animagus truly brings light and beauty to the situation.