The White Cobra

Year One

Christmas Eve Part 1

The Forbidden Forest's floor was smothered by a large ice fog which was slowly making its way towards the castle. Every surface of every rock, fallen leaf or needle seemed to be covered in a coating of sugary hoarfrost. It reminded Lily of Turkish Delight, a sweet she loathed but Petunia adored.

Her thick trainers crunched, even squeaked as they compressed the snow beneath her feet. The sound was sharp, clear and seemed to travel miles. As it was the Christmas Holiday, the students of Hogwarts had been allowed to wear their own clothes. Lily had opted for a thick pair of jeans, three long-sleeved shirts, a jumper, her winter coat as well as her Hogwarts scarf and gloves. She would have worn her bright green bobble hat but Alice Fisher said it made her look silly. She looked several times larger and was a little top heavy but she was warm; she despised being cold.

Lily and her family had often visited the Forest of Dean around this time and had planned on going again had she not begged to stay at Hogwarts with Severus. She had seen from the look of relief in his eyes when the Head of Slytherin, Professor Slughorn, had asked him if he was going home or choosing to stay at the castle. It had been a shock to Lily's parents; they had thought to celebrate Lily's birthday on New Years since it was at the end of January. It had taken a while but her parents were eventually persuaded.

As she neared the tree line, Lily saw a dark shape flit across her vision, in amongst the trees.

"Severus?" She called, praying that it was him and not one of the terrifying creatures she had read about.

His voice, soft and barely audible as it may be, made her run faster. She slipped and slid across the ground but reached the forest intact. It wasn't until she her foot caught a snow covered root did she stumble. But Severus was there, grabbing her arm and pulling her up behind a tree before she could hit the ground.

"Well you look –" The Slytherin paused, eyes taking in the layers of clothing practically suffocating the Gryffindor. "- snug?"

Lily beamed. "Well, I'm warm aren't I? Like you said. And if we get lost, I won't freeze quickly." Her expression showed concern when she took in her friend's school uniform, scarf, hat and that was all. "Sev! You'll get hypothermia, frostbite, please, we must get you a coat!"

Severus smiled patiently. "I am okay Lily, honest. I've charmed my clothes; they contain my body heat."

"But... How can you do that? We haven't even learnt 'Incendio' yet."

"Please, 'Incendio' is easy. Besides I've refined it, made it more than just potent flame."

Dumbfounded, Lily closed her mouth. She supposed she should be used to this; Severus had already improved many spells he had learnt from books from the library. Lily had been scared to begin with, many were darker then she felt comfortable with but Severus had assured her these enhancements would stop mistakes happening to the caster. Unsure but compliant, Lily had congratulated him on his success but refused to be any part of it, spending the time they were distant at ensuring her other friendships remained alight, doing homework or avoiding Mr Potter.

"Where are we going?" She asked, following him as he walked into the Forests depths.

"I don't really know." Severus admitted, without meeting her eyes. "I have been trying to find maps of this place but no one is sure about anything. One of the authors swore that the trees moved around and confused him when he tried... imbecile. He probably got drunk, a wager was made and when the time came he chickened out and lied." Severus shook his head, showing contempt to all cartographers. He picked his way carefully, Lily close behind, her emerald eyes darting around for the slightest hint of danger; she dreaded what could be hiding in the biting fog.

The Forest itself was thick with trees. The saying 'you can't see the forest for the trees' popped into the young Gryffindors head and she had to agree. Towering beech, pine, sycamore and yew dominated the canopy but resilient and ancient oaks commandeered glades and the larger clearings, their gravity defying branches stretching parallel to the ground for almost twenty feet.

The snow had been caught by the many branches overhead but ice still crept down some trunks, giving the bark a shimmering appearance. Although Severus had appeared to have found a path, knotgrass and thorns clustered around in gangs, snatching at Lily's legs and making her wince as they tried to claw at her skin.

The immense silence unnerved her a little. So she said quietly, "I always imagined that the Forest in winter was cold, from the castle it always looks so deadly. But it gives off its own kind of warmth. The peace, I mean, and how there is no sound. It's all quiet and calm."

"Say that again when we leave here, running and screaming for help." Severus threw over his shoulder without looking back.

Lily was about to reply but she decided against it. She felt eyes on her and looked around nervously. Minutes flowed past them both like a stream but nothing attacked them and neither child heard so much as a snap of twigs or a rustle of leaves. Severus kept a careful vigil, his dark eyes taking in every detail quickly and without much notice if it was not a potential threat. Lily on the other hand stared around her with open awe and fascination. Her innate ability to see the beauty in dark places – or people – allowed her to see what others failed to.

She loved how her trainers sounded as she stepped on the frosted leaves, how her breath came out in a cloud of twirling steam and how the sunlight behind the trees gave a tiny amount of light and showing some form of the forest as not being such a lonely place.

She watched as Severus pulled out his wand and mutter "Lumos". She followed suit.

"Isn't this dangerous?" She asked, hesitantly. "We could be seen from miles away."

Severus didn't answer. They walked for twenty more minutes, without incident, until Severus turned around and pulled Lily into a crouch. He 'knoxed' his wand and Lily did so too.

Before she could question him, he pressed a finger to her lips. Pride and happiness glinted in his eyes and he winked at her when she gave him a scared look. He pushed her to her hands and knees, did the same and motioned her to follow him. Intrigued, Lily scurried after him. The ground was as hard as rocks and it was unsettling being surrounded by such hostile fog, but it was dissipating and Lily stared hard and Severus's ankle to avoid getting lost. When he stopped, it was sudden and he motioned for Lily to come alongside. She did so, apprehension growing tight in her chest.

What was it? A werewolf? A ghast? I should have stayed in the common room. Or convinced him that this was a bad idea. What if we're hurt? I couldn't leave Sev, or him me! What should I –

Dark eyes met green and he touched her shoulder reassuringly. "Look." He mouthed simply, pointing delicately through a large hedge. Heart hammering like a steel drum in her ears and face white with fear, Lily obeyed. Severus moved slightly and watched as his closest friend parted the leaves and peered out into the clearing.

At first Lily could see nothing but fog. But then, a small gust of wind blew and it scattered.

Unicorns. At lease twelve of them. They were the most beautiful things Lily had ever seen. The five adults were at least sixteen hands high and muscular, but lithe and as graceful as a dancer, their fair hooves immaculate against the dirt. Their coats were so white they hurt to look at for too long, so Lily cast her gaze at the others. Three were a stunning silver and moved like water, their youth-ish antics falling away to leave a majestic creature of poise. Of course there was still a hint of mischief and they nipped the foals playfully. Oh the foals! They were the most vibrant and Lily found it hard to look away. Coats of a dazzling gold, they whinnied and rolled in the dirt, kicking at each other and hiding behind the legs of the adults, who nicked them gently with spiralling horns or flicked them with snowy tails.

"Oh Sev..." Lily breathed, tears of bliss and such sense of pure delight rolling down her cheeks, which were now flushed and a rosy red.

One adult pricked up her ears and trotted over, her movements as smooth as honey. She pushed her head into the hedgerow and snorted when she smelt human. But Severus was already backing away slowly, leaving Lily to be nosed by the interested Unicorn.

The foals pranced over and allowed Lily to sit up, pet their flanks and preened when she murmured praise and flattery in a dazed voice. A stallion, the King of his small herd, walked over and neighed softly, accepting the observer, sensing her youth and gender.

How long she spent petting and being petted by the Unicorns Lily could not fathom but her joy vanished in an instant. There was a sudden shift in the wind and the small herd jerked their heads up and their ears stood tall and still. With a scream of fear, the stallion reared and plunged into the trees, his family following a heartbeat later.

Something massive, black and fanged leapt between both humans and sprinted after the Unicorns, its deep claws leaving deep gashes in the earth and kicking up soil from the frozen ground.

Severus was up in a moment, pulling Lily to her feet and yanking her into a dead run in the opposite direction. They darted through the undergrowth, not feeling the thorns and barely avoiding the hiding tree trunks.

"What was that?" She cried out after gulping down a deep breath.

Severus spoke as though he was not running but sitting quietly with a book in the library. "I don't care, but nothing can catch a Unicorn. Once it gives up on them guess who else is on the menu?"

The tear she had shed froze of her cheeks but Lily was too busy to brush them away. In the distance, there was a howl of failure.

"Faster, Lily, faster!"

But neither could run faster. They did not have the eyesight or knowledge of the Forest to escape what was now chasing them. They were children. Petrified children with a head start but they did not have four legs capable of loping ten feet in a single bound.

They ran until they heard the snarls of one with fangs not five feet behind them... then they sprinted. Lily felt something whooshing past her ear and she ducked, seeing an impossibly large three taloned hand snatch at the air above her. But the next one she couldn't dodge. Something ripped open her coat and sank deep into the last t-shirt she wore, so close to her skin she felt the cold claw on her spine, and slammed her off her feet. She went flying and landed sprawled on her back, the air knocked out of her lungs, lights dancing before her eyes.

"Stupefy!" She heard Severus yell.

There was a roar. A mind melting roar that attacked the primal part of the brain and sent adrenaline coursing through Lily's body, driving away the pain.

She grappled with her own wand, pushed herself to her feet and pointed it. Words formed on neither her lips, nor her tongue but bubbled uselessly in her throat though her mind screamed the spell. A flash of blue light erupted from her wand and smashed into the shadowy creature, throwing it off its feet and into the depths of the Forest.

Severus was by her side, pulling once more and they both ran again. To where it mattered not but as long as it was away from that thing.

But then Lily heard hooves. Softly at first, but then thundering like thunder all around them. Could it be the Unicorns? She thought.

A loud war cry was followed by a shriek of pain. Severus stumbled, then Lily did, then both were lying on the ground, energy spent and the raised root lowered itself back into the ground behind them solemnly. Severus tried to sit up, tried to tug himself and Lily up but weariness and lack of oxygen caught hold of his limbs and he sank unconscious to the ground.

Lily lay there, staring at the canopy, breathing heavily; swallowing air like a man lost in the Sahara does with water. Her lungs burned and her head swam but she felt the thud of hooves and turned her head. Cracked, filthy and much larger hooves ended her hopes of Unicorns but the gentle hand that lifted her, cradled her against a warm chest lulled her into peace.

The last thing she saw was a pair of wise brown eyes.

...

Thanks for reading! I hope you like enough to review or share with friends but if not, comment and tell me how it could be better!

The creature was supposed to be a Blood sucking Bugbear but it didn't seem scary enough (haha) so I chose an unidentified creature instead.

Oh and I found conflicting stuff saying that Dippet was headmaster when Lily was at Hogwarts but in the third book Dumbledore lets Lupin come to Hogwarts as he is instead so I'm going with that xxx