Chapter 20
It was traditional for the graduating class to have their last big bash at the tavern in Hogsmeade, rather than the grand hall at Hogwarts. Maybe it was to symbolize that they were leaving the school behind. Or maybe it was a practical reason: the celebrators could really cut loose and have fun without looking stupid in front of the professors and young classmates.
"Last week-end of Hogsmeade," said Kay, walking next to Lily..
"I know," said Lily, James's arm was around her waist.
"It sucks doesn't it? Next week's our last week at this school, as students," said Alice..
Sirius sighed. "I hope that maybe one day we can come back, maybe if our children come to this school. I'm sure that James's children will be exactly like him, a trouble maker and good looking, but they will have Evans's mind, and eyes," stated Sirius.
Lily and James burst out laughing.
"What?" asked Sirius, a confused look on his features.
"It's just funny that you're already predicting our children," said Lily. James nodded.
"Whatever," Sirius stated. "What do you plan to do after leaving, Kay?"
"I think I'll go back to the Islands, and study Vodun -- what people usually miscall "voodoo". I want to see how it links up with traditional magic."
"And you, Alice?"
"I'm going with Frank to visit his mother. She's a very formidable woman, they say, but Frank is sure that she'll approve of us getting together."
"Aren't you already together?"
Before Alice could answer, they could hear Remus bellowing out a song.
Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble,
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble--
"Sounds like Remus has had too much to drink," said James. "Maybe we should take him home before he starts casting spells on everything.
Lily was confused: Remus had always struck as the most self-controlled of the four boys. And she was even more puzzled when James, Peter, and Sirius all followed him to the door. "Do all three of you need to go?"
A pause. "It wouldn't be fair for some of us to have fun here while others are stuck with Remus," said Peter.
Lily thought that a very stupid remark, even for Peter. Then she saw the full moon through the door and realized: this was the Marauders' monthly meeting, and apparently it was so important that they were willing to skip the final party, and James was ready to walk out on Lily. It's possible that Remus wasn't even drunk, just faking it as an excuse for the four to leave.
Suddenly all the fun went out of the party for Lily. She sat in a corner, drinking more butterbeers than she was used to handling. At the other side of the room, the Slytherins were celebrating. Lucius Malfoy had apparently agreed to marry Narcissa Black. Lily felt very on the outside looking in.
"That's funny," Kay said.
"What?"
"I was outside coming back from the sweets store, and I saw the Marauders in the distance. But they weren't going back to school. They were going toward the Shrieking Shack."
"So James can't even tell me the truth about his slipping out, the jerk," muttered Lily. "Do you know what I'm going to do?"
"What?" asked Kay and Alice.
"I'm going to wait an hour until they're all confident and private, and then I'm going to the Shrieking Shack myself. Finally find out what they're doing, and maybe solve the mystery of the Shack for once and for all!"
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Lily was feeling much less confident as she approached the door to the shack. There was no light on inside, not even enough to match the full moon outside. She muttered a Lumos spell and let her wand light the way.
The door let her into a large room that might have been a decent drawing room several centuries earlier. Now it had a few pieces of rickety furniture. Surprisingly, four wands were sitting on a chair. What wizard would leave his wand behind in a place like this?
To her left was a door with several locks. It looked forbidden, so of course that's where Lily decided to go. The locks themselves weren't a problem of course -- one Alohamora spell took care of all of them.
Beyond was a dark hallway. She tiptoed in, still seeing no sign of the boys. There was an unpleasant smell to this wing, too, the excrement of some animal. But Lily kept on to the end of the corridor and alohamora'ed the final door open. But all she found was a dismal, windowless room.
"Aaaaaooooooh!"
The sound filled Lily with dread. Suddenly she had no curiosity about what went on the shack, she just wanted to leave.
A huge dog -- no, a wolf -- trotted into the room. Its eyes locked on Lily, and it growled. There was something utterly vicious about the eyes. Rabid, maybe. If it didn't tear her apart, she could still die within a month of a horrid disease. And she had no defense but a wand.
It sprang, and Lily dodged. The wolf hit the wall behind her and seemed confused for a moment by her failure to be there, Lily dashed to the door of the room, but realized this was little hope in running. The beast would be faster.
Thinking desperately, Lily remembered that there was a spell that could kill anything. Its use on humans was utterly taboo, and would get you sent to Azkaban for life, but who would blame her for using it on a savage beast that was threatening her life?. The spell required powerful emotion behind it, but she was terrified enough to make it work. "Av-v-v". She stopped and tried to halt the stammering. She had to say it clearly for it to work. "Avada K--"
"Expelliarmus!" shouted James voice behind her
Her wand flew out of her hand. Now she was utterly defenseless against the wolf. James was here, yet he had condemned her to death! Why?
A large black dog bounded through the door and hurled itself against the wolf. "Run, Lily!" cried James' voice, then, incredibly, a beautiful stag trotted into the room. Lowering its head to use its antlers as a weapon, it too charged the wolf. And as a bizarre anticlimax, a little mouse scuttered by and seemed determined to join the fray.
Lily dashed through the halls, and through the heavy door. She slammed it shut and was relieved when all the locks automatically reasserted themselves. The sensible thing now would be to flee the Shrieking Shack and never come back. But James and the others might starve if they could not come out through the door, and besides, her curiosity would not allow her to abandon the mystery. Besides, a wizard was trained never to leave her wand behind. It was matched to her personality and no replacement wand ever worked as well.
The growling and howling noises stopped, then James' voice called. "Lily, will you let us out? The wolf is safely confined now."
"I ought to let you lot stew in there for a while. But-- Alohamora!" .The door unlocked itself.
James came in first, followed by Sirius carrying a near-unconscious Peter. All were bruised and even bleeding. Sirius put Peter on one of the old sofas and seemed to be performing healing spells. James sheepishly held out a stick. "Your wand--"
"Thanks awfully," she said bitterly.
"I -- I know that this is hard to explain, and that you'll never forgive us. But--"
Lily took a deep breath. "No, I think I've figured it out. You're all Animagi, even the wolf. You kept me from killing the wolf because it would have been killing a human being." She looked around. "By process of elimination, I presume the wolf is Remus."
"Yes. It's not his fault. He was bitten by a werewolf years ago and will be cursed with the effects for the rest of his life. The best we could do as his friends was to stand by him when the moon was full, and keep his secret to protect him from discrimination. That's why we became Marauders. But you can't be expected to accept all that--"
"Yes, I can. Make me a Marauder. Whatever oath you have, I'll swear it." Lily promised.
"We can't," said Sirius. "We made a rule that girls can't be Marauders. It looks silly now, I know, but it was written into the Oath, and it would take somebody powerful like Dumbledore to unravel it. And I'd be rather embarrassed to explain all this to him."
"Maybe we can amend the Oath. Say that Marauder's wives automatically become members of the group."
"Wives?!" squeaked Peter.
James went down on a knee. Lily thought he was clowning at first, but a look at his face convinced her that he was in earnest. "Miss Evans, I have thought for a long time that you were the embodiment of all the virtues, but tonight you showed the greatest virtue of all: forgiveness when we accidentally risked your life. I may not be worthy at the moment, but will you take me for your husband?"
"You can't propose here!" Sirius protested. "The dust, the blood, the shabbiness-- do you want to remember it this way years from now?" For once the wise-cracking cynic of love seemed to show his sentimental streak.
"No, James is right," Lily said. "Love isn't just kisses and sweet words and making love in a comfortable bed. It's for better or for worse, being able to bear hardship together, maybe having to sacrifice yourself for the person you love. But even if fate was staring me in the face, I'd do it. I'll marry you, James."
And Peter stared as they embraced.
FIN
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Author's note: This chapter is actually a new chapter, written about a year after I had finished the story... or thought I had finished it. But, I can't talk all the credit, because it was my beta, CharlesTheBold, that wrote the chapter, asking my opinion on it first. I cannot thank you enough for helping me with this story! And now, it is actually done!