Previously,
"No wonder you guys play all those pranks." Lily said. "It's fun."
"You should try it more." James suggested.
"I think I might." Lily said before looking at the front of the classroom. "Uh oh."
James stopped laughing when he saw what Lily saw. They weren't alone.
Professor McGonagall was grading papers when the two came into her classroom. And she looked shocked.
Chapter 10: Sneaking to the Forest
"James?" McGonagall asked after she walked up to the two. "Were you just now… LAUGHING?"
"Yes." He told her. "I just pulled a prank on the guys with Lily."
"Considering where we put the wands, they'll be even MORE humiliated when they come down." Lily added.
Lily was amazed that McGonagall didn't start scolding them about setting examples. Instead, McGonagall hugged James.
"Thank Merlin." She sighed.
"Did I miss something?" Lily asked trying to figure out where the lecture went.
"Can I tell her?" James asked.
McGonagall nodded.
"Lily." James said. "I'm going to let you in on a secret that not even SIRIUS knows about."
"Oohh." Lily said. "Big one."
James took a deep breath.
"Professor McGonagall is…."
He whispered something in her ear.
It was NOT what she was expecting.
"WHAT?!"
He added something else.
"OMG!" she exclaimed.
The Headmaster and the Transfiguration teacher were James Potter's godparents.
"Why didn't you say anything?" She asked him. "You could have gone home with Dumbledore."
"Because Albus is too busy with Voldemort." McGonagall told her. "James needed to be watched constantly. And the less people who know about it, the better. Besides, this way, I'm not accused of favorites because of relations."
"Clever." Lily said before turning to James. "I bet you got tutored."
"At a young age." James told her. "In EVERYTHING."
0000
On the way to breakfast,
"That's what I get for hanging around you guys." Frank said.
After Remus and Sirius landed, the boys had gone looking for their wands. When they walked out, they slipped on their wands. Peter, being the clumsy boy he is, tripped backwards and landed on the steps that led straight to the girls' dorm. And since the steps turn into a ramp whenever a boy tries to go up it…
Not only the seventh year boys, but also the seventh year girls who were going down the stairs and a few younger students slid all the way to the common room and crashed into a few more students.
"Peeves." Sirius said. "He's the only one."
They entered the Great Hall and saw James and Lily finishing up their breakfasts. Lily was laughing about something. James had his head in his hands and shaking his head. Unknown to the other Marauders, James and Lily had both admitted to each other that they were unregistered animagi.
"What's so funny?" Remus asked Lily.
"The irony." She sighed. "C'mon James."
"Okay." He sighed.
The Marauders shrugged after the two Heads left.
"So," Peter said. "Full moon tonight."
"Oh. The squirrel will also be coming with us." Sirius told them.
"As will the wolf." Remus added.
"I have a date tonight." Peter said. "So I have to skip out."
"Okay."
0000
That night,
"Can you still transform, just in case?" Lily asked underneath James' cloak.
"Of course. I've already tested." James said. "It's you I'm worried about."
"I'm still a fox." She said.
"You have no idea how much of one you are." James sighed.
Suddenly, they saw a dog, a squirrel, and a wolf hanging around the Whomping Willow. The tree stopped slashing as the squirrel pushed the knot.
"This way." James said pointing in the opposite direction. They weren't going to hang out with Remus and the others. James wanted to show Lily something he discovered when he got separated from his friends during a full moon one night. Something that his father had told him about.
0000
About halfway into the Forbidden Forest,
"We are so going to be in trouble." She said after James took off the cloak.
"Shh." James said. He pointed to an open glen
Lily looked and saw a herd of centaurs grazing.
"They are VERY territorial." James whispered.
He motioned deeper into the forest.
0000
"James. This is…beautiful."
"My Dad told me about this." James sighed. "The fairies are courting."
"I…I…I don't know what to say." Lily said. "Thank you for sharing this with me."
"Ever since I came across it," James told her. "I've been thinking about how much you would like it."
The two watched from behind a tree as the tiny lights danced around.
0000
A few hours later,
The couple were headed back to the castle. They didn't know that the spot where they were resting was the exact spot their son would conjure his first corporeal patronus.
"It's so beautiful." Lily said looking at the stars.
"Look." James said pointing at the water.
Lily looked and saw the outlines of the merpeople swimming around.
"They only surface at night during the full moon." James whispered.
"What about animals that might eat them?" Lily asked.
"They dive when danger is sensed."
Suddenly, the merpeople dove.
Suddenly, they heard a growl from behind them. They slowly turned and saw a full grown werewolf growling at them.
"James?" Lily asked.
"THAT is not Moony." James asked.
"Should we transform?" Lily asked him.
James shook his head.
"Remus knows my scent." He explained. "This guy would probably harm a stag and a fox. Back into the water."
She obeyed as he followed his own instructions.
"Now," He instructed. "Start swimming."
SPLASH
The two lovebirds swam into the lake. About halfway across,
"KEEP SWIMMING!" James called as he stopped and looked.
Lily didn't. She stopped and waited for him.
The werewolf had gone a few steps after them, but was apparently not a good swimmer. The creature was standing in the shallow waters growling at them.
"I think we're safe." Lily said as they treaded water.
"You do know that there are Grindylows in the water." James stated.
"Werewolves or grindylows?" She asked herself. "Let's just get to the castle."
"I guess when we get to the shore, we can transform and head to the village. I know a passage from Honeydukes."
"Is it even open?"
"Are you not the top witch in our classes?" James asked.
TBC