A/N: A million thanks for the reviews and support! Hope you enjoy this chapter! I sure had fun writing it.

The Chauvinistic Stag

Chapter 7

Lily frantically tried to run towards the tree's trunk, but could not get within fifteen feet without getting whipped by the tree's flailing branches.

"Sirius!" Lily hollered, turning around to search for James's seemingly guilty best friend.

Sirius was sitting about twenty feet behind her, face pale in the moonlight. Lily backed towards him. The uneasy look on his face increased her own feelings of foreboding.

"What can we do?" Lily asked, sitting down next to Sirius. Sirius stared down at his hands and shook his head.

"Sirius, look at me," Lily said. And slowly, Sirius's gaze slowly met her eyes.

"What can we do?" Lily asked again.

Sirius blinked. "I think I went too far this time," he muttered softly.

Lily felt her stomach drop. Sirius acting seriously, meant indeed, the situation was serious.

"You're bleeding," Sirius said, pointing to her cheek.

Lily reached up and touched the side of her face, and felt a sting as her fingers touched the wet cut.

***************

James sprinted as hard as he could, unfeeling of anything but pure adrenaline. Three more turns and he would be at the threshold of the Shrieking Shack. His wand was slippery in his sweaty hand and his shirt was sticking to his back. At the slightest sign of animal movement, he was ready to turn himself into a stag. But if it was possible, he had to try to get Snape out without him seeing him in his animal form. Or his secret would be lost forever…

One turn away and he heard footsteps in front of him. "Snape!" James hollered. "Stop, please stop!"

James turned the final corner and Snape was facing toward him, his eyebrows raised. "What are you doing here, Potter?" Snape asked slimily.

But a howling behind Snape caused him to lose interest in James's response and turn towards the Shrieking Shack. Snarling, drooling, and vividly angry, Remus, in-werewolf-form, began slowly stalking towards Snape and James: his human prey.

"Petrificus Totalus!" James hollered, hitting Snape in the back with the curse. Snape fell face forward, landing hard on the rugged passageway floor. James then turned his wand on himself, and turned into his stag form. He hoped that Snape, being petrified, would not be able to see his hooves from his face-down position as James charged at Remus. But what choice did he have? Between life and death, he would choose life no matter the consequence.

Remus growled threateningly at James, as he always did, when he was overtaken by his animal emotions. And with the smell of human flesh so close by, James knew that Remus's human senses had to be virtually nonexistent.

Knowing what he had to do, James leaped over Snape, charging his good friend, his head bowed. He heard Remus running towards him, too, and with a huge crash, the two collided. James felt pain in his shoulder as Remus's claw scratched his skin, and although he couldn't feel it, he could hear Remus's teeth gnawing at his antlers. James pushed with all of his might, backing his friend towards the entrance to the Shrieking Shack.

Still snarling, Remus pushed back, trying to get to Snape. He lashed at James again with his paws, re-clawing where he had lacerated James skin in their initial clashing. James gasped in pain, as he felt blood trickling down his shoulder. In that moment, Remus began backing him up towards Snape.

A spark of determination flared up in James. He had to save his friends. He could not let Remus kill or simply bite Snape. Remus would be beyond devastated with either of those outcomes. Remus had been against his best friends becoming Animagi from the beginning. He hadn't wanted to take risks with his condition, but he had let his friends talk him into it.

And now, this was how Sirius repaid him. But James knew, too, he had to save Sirius. Sirius was sometimes a daft prat, but James knew he didn't possibly think this decision through. Sirius would get blamed if Snape was bitten, and that would mean expulsion at the very least…

And James had to save Snape. Not that Snape was his friend, but Snape mattered to Lily, and Lily mattered to him more anything, really. He reflected happily on their last hour. And with the thought of Lily in his head, James found the determination to push harder than he had before. He bowed his head, and dug his heels into the floor as he pushed, pushed, and pushed.

Only when they reached the threshold of the Shrieking Shack did James realize that he was actually moving Remus back. Into the house, James pushed him. Back, back, and back. There were at the stairs now. James had to raise his antlers to make sure Remus didn't jump over him as James pushed him up the stairs. He felt Remus's putrid werewolf breathe heavy on his nose. And his shoulder was screaming in pain.

When they reached the top landing, James heard a whimper, and felt Remus retreating on his own accord. James chanced a look in his friend's eye, and saw the raging animalistic instinct now absent. Remus was there inside, and he knew James was trying to push him upstairs for a reason. Remus turned from James with his tail between his legs and trotted into the back bedroom.

James followed his friend and saw him cowering under the bed. He was as good as human right now. Slowly, James retreated down the stairs, and then out into the passageway. Only until he was sure that Remus was not following him, did he turn back into human form and mutter, "Colloportus," locking the Shack's door.

It was then, in human form, that he realized how seriously Remus had cut his shoulder in his desperation to reach Snape.

"Finite Incantatem," James said, pointing his wand at Snape. Immediately, Snape was unfrozen, and as he stood up, James saw the look of immense fury etched on his face.

"Potter," Snape spat. "You could have killed me!"

"Shut up, Snape, and let's get out of here," James said.

"Don't you tell me to shut -," Snape started.

But James interrupted him. "Petrificus Totalus," James yelled.

Snape froze instantly, and fell face forward again. James rolled his eyes. A frozen, silent Snape was so much nicer.

"You asked for it," James said, as he stepped towards him.

"Locomotor Mortis," James then muttered, swishing his wand at Snape.

Snape suddenly hovered above the ground, and James steered Snape down the passageway toward its exit, staggering slightly as he gripped his shoulder. To James is seemed to take ages to get to the end of the passageway, but finally he could see moonlight seeping in raggedly through the Whomping Willow's branches.

"Finite Incantatem," James then muttered regretfully, and Snape fell from his hovering position to the floor.

"Woops," James said. He hadn't meant to drop Snape so hard on to the floor, but both the body moving charm and the body-bind curse were now lifted.

As James expected, Snape stood up, his face even more livid under an extremely bloody nose. Snape eyes glanced over James's injuries, but he apparently chose to ignore them.

"Two facedown body-binds, Potter?" Snape spat. "You left me completely blind and defenseless."

"You know, you could just thank me for saving your life," James responded. But he was secretly relieved Snape wasn't questioning the sound of hooves he must have heard.

Snape scoffed. "You and I both know you were just saving your own skin. Don't tell me you weren't in on this prank because I won't believe it."

James shrugged. He wasn't going to waste his energy arguing with Snape. In fact, he was getting rather dizzy.

When Snape realized James wouldn't respond, he turned and fled out of the passageway, hitting the knot of the tree as he exited. The branches flailing limbs froze, and he stalked heavily away.

"Severus!" James heard Lily call, as he hoisted himself awkwardly out of the passageway.

"Oh my goodness, Severus, are you okay?" Lily asked him.

"I'm fine," Snape muttered.

"Your nose…" Lily said.

Snape felt up towards his face, and felt the blood on his fingers. His already furious expression turned into one of utter rage.

"I am going to kill you, Potter," Snape stuttered, as he whipped out his wand and charged back towards the tree.

"Expelliarmus!" Lily cried, pointing her own wand at Snape's back. His wand flew out of his hand and landed some fifteen feet away. Sirius, who was nearest to it, stooped and picked it up.

Snape turned around and glared at Lily. "You idiotic mudblood," he snarled. "Do you understand what these fools tried to do to me?"

Lily glared back at him. "James didn't – James!"

It was then that Lily saw James emerging from the Whomping Willow's passageway. She ignored Snape's cries of anger and sprinted to where James was stumbling.

"James, oh my God, James! You're hurt!" Lily cried, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Lily," James mumbled. "I'm sorry, Lily."

"S-sorry," Lily replied. "What on earth for?"

"For ruining our walk," he mumbled again.

"Come on, Lily, we have to move him," Sirius said. "The tree will start moving any second now." Lily hadn't realized he had run over to James with her too.

Together, the two of them heaved James out of the Whomping Willow's reaches, just as it began to thrash its branches threateningly.

"It was a nice walk," James stuttered.

Lily couldn't help but giggle. "It was, James. It was."

It was then that she pulled her arms from his shoulders and her own arm came away covered in blood, that she realized how seriously James was injured.

She gasped. "Sirius," she said, showing him her arm.

Sirius went extremely pail. "Come on, Lils. We have to get him to the hospital wing."

Lily had completely forgotten that Snape was nearby, but he was reminded by heavy footsteps and livid voice.

"Give me back my wand, Black," Snape demanded.

Sirius growled in response.

"Give it back, Black," he said again.

Sirius ignored him, and ducked under James's good arm and slowly started to guide his friend toward the castle.

"Black!" Snape screeched.

"We have to get James to the hospital wing, Severus. Help us and we'll give it back to you there," Lily interrupted.

"Absolutely not," Snape insisted. "Give me my wand now!"

"Severus, please. At the hospital wing. I swear we'll give it back. I'll make sure of it," Lily pleaded.

Snape narrowed his eyes, meeting hers. Lily felt a stab in her heart as she saw the hurt and anger in her childhood friend's eyes. They had grown so far apart.

"Please," she said again. Her hand was shaking as she gripped her wand.

"Fine," he said. And he turned on his heel and left Sirius and Lily to guide James toward the castle door.

"Lily, a little help please!" Sirius yelped. It looked like James had passed out.

"Sirius! Is he okay?!" Lily gasped, running over, shaking James.

"Stop it, Lils," James mumbled, his eyes still closed.

The trio trudged slowly up the lawn, and Lily heaved open the door for the two boys to walk through.

"Sirius, if I can't-," James breathed.

"-play quidditch-," James continued.

"-I'm going to kill you," he finished.

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said. "Though an explanation will be. As will you returning Mr. Snape's wand, Mr. Black."

Snape poked his head out from behind Professor McGonagall.

"We just happened to meet in the hall," he smiled at Lily.

Lily ignored him. "Professor, we have to get James to the hospital –," she started.

And after showing her James's shoulder, Professor McGonagall didn't need telling twice.

She flicked her wand and a stretcher appeared that took James up to the hospital wing. She then glanced between the three students, noticing Snape's bloody nose and Lily's bloody cheek, and summoned them all to follow her. She flicked her wand again and sent a patronus from it. Lily had one guess as to whom it was going.

Surely enough, as the three students and Professor McGonagall reached the infirmary, Professor Dumbledore was waiting for them.

"Before I can let any of you in to see Madam Leanders, I must know," he said. "What happened to Mr. Potter?"

"Potter just got blasted by his own prank, Profes-" Snape started, but Sirius cut him off.

"No he didn't, dolt, James had no idea," Sirius retaliated.

Professor Dumbledore put up his hand. "Mr. Snape, please make your way inside. That nose could do with a cleaning."

He turned back to Lily and Sirius after he was sure Snape had closed the door behind him.

"What exactly happened, Mr. Black?" Dumbledore asked. His blue eyes were strictly inquisitive and not twinkling.

Sirius looked down at his feet. "I told Snape how to pass the Whomping Willow. That all he had to do was prod the knot, and he'd find out why Remus left every month. I ran into James just after, and as soon as I told him, he ran after him."

A severely alarmed look crossed the Professor's face. He wrenched open the hospital wing door and rapidly crossed to James's bed. "Does he have any bite marks? Can you see any at all?" Dumbledore asked, as he himself, looked up and down James's bloody arm.

"Bite marks?" Madam Leanders asked. "Well, I suppose there could be. These gashes are far too deep on his shoulder to be bites though. Looks more like claws of some kind to me."

"Alert me immediately if you come across any," Dumbledore said, and Madam Leanders nodded in understanding.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore returned to where Lily and Sirius were standing. "Lily, I see your bleeding. Why don't you wait here and get cleaned up after Professor Leanders is done with James and Snape. Sirius, are you at all hurt?"

Sirius shook his head.

"Then you need to follow me," Dumbledore said. "Minerva, I will handle this from here." And with that, McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Sirius left the room. If Sirius had been a dog, without question, his tail would have been tucked between his legs.

A/N: And that's it for now! I wanted to get a post out in 2009… so this is where it has to stop. I have more to write though, so if you like it so far, I will definitely continue. Just let me know! Not a ton of character development in this chapter, but the next section should help to progress our stars' relationship. Happy New Year everyone! PS: Reviews are the best…