How a Stag Found some Wolfsbane

The last couple of weeks before Christmas break went by quickly.

Frank had managed to not only teach the blocking and disarming spell, but also to petrify and the cushioning charm to soften a harsh landing. Everybody in the group, including Severus, seemed to make progress in their agility to dodge, block, and attack spells. Frank's confidence seemed to grow with every lesson, proud of his accomplishments as a teacher.

It wasn't just Frank that was doing well. Judging by his happier appearance, Rosier must be making progress now that he had frequent meetings with Dumbledore. Still, Severus wanted to keep a keen eye on him. Not necessarily because he didn't trust Rosier's motives, but because Rosier simply didn't come with the kind of courage that the other members of the young order came with.

...

It was Thursday, two days before the train from Hogsmeade would leave to go back to London.

'Lily,' Severus said as he tuned up his bass, 'there's something that I need to ask you.'

'What is it?'

'I forgot to send my mother a message about when I'm coming home. So, could I possibly hitch a ride home with you?'

'I don't have enough time to let my parents know, but I'm sure they won't mind if you squeezed into the car with us.'

'Thanks,' he said, glad that the problem was sorted.

Lily looked around. 'Do you have any idea where the marauders are?'

'No idea,' he said, but with a pang, he realised that tonight was a full moon, and the marauders were most likely already hiding out at the shrieking shack.

If was he was going to attempt to brew the wolfsbane potion for Lupin, he was going to have to sneak out tonight and find some wolfsbane plants in the forest. He could only hope Lupin had managed to convince his friends not to leave the shack to go exploring.

'Now who can drum some Judas Priest songs for us if Black isn't here to do it?' Lily said, slightly annoyed.

'His little brother might,' Severus said while pointing at Regulus.

Lily looked over her shoulder and saw Regulus talking with a Ravenclaw girl. 'I'll go and ask.'

After all those years of not touching a bass, Severus had finally managed to catch up on his playing skills in the few months that he was back at school. He even started to enjoy playing with the band groups, but he was looking more forward to making music with Lily, once they returned home. Making music had been a big thing they bonded over and, in a way, the most intimate thing they did together.

Regulus had been willing to play along with them, playing some songs they had practiced before with his brother.

After class he carefully put his bass in its case, ready to bring it back home with him for Christmas break.

'Do you want to go down to the potions lab after dinner?' Lily asked him as she put her guitar back in its case.

'I can't. I have to find a way to get down into the forest and look for wolfsbane now that it's the full moon.'

'You mean for that potion against lycanthropy you've been working on?'

'Yes indeed, and since tonight is the last full moon before Christmas this is the best time to do it.'

'Okay, I'll come with you.'

At that, Severus's mind started racing. The last thing he wanted was for Lily to join him on a nightly stroll with a potential werewolf on the loose.

'You don't have to,' he said carefully. 'It's going to be late and unless my eyes deceived me, there's snow falling.'

'Aww Sev, are you afraid that I'm going to catch a cold or something?' she sniggered.

'That's exactly what I'm afraid of.'

'You're a horrible liar, Sev. I'll see you at dinner okay; I want to bring my guitar to the common room first.'

Lily disappeared up the grand staircase. Did she really just call him a horrible liar? Years of being a spy and a master of deceit against the great Dark Lord himself and she just looked straight through him. He hoped he wasn't losing his touch, he thought to himself. The art of deception was his most compelling talent. A talent he could not afford to lose just because Lily brought out his vulnerability.

He shrugged it off for now. Dumping his bass on his bed, he headed for the great hall, where he found most of the Young Order already eating.

'Does anyone have any idea where the marauders are?' Mary asked. 'Or are they sneaking around again as usual?'

'Maybe they're in the kitchens,' said Frank. 'Won't be the first time that they're nicking food down there.'

'Then why not just sit at the dinner table and have it served to you,' Mary replied. 'What's the point in putting more effort into stealing food if you can just grab it.'

Frank raised his shoulders. 'No idea.'

'For all we know Potter's standing right behind you, with that bloody invisibility cloak of his.' Lily said while pointing with her fork behind Mary.

Alice got a sour look on her face. 'The very thought of his creeping up on me like that annoys me,' she said bitterly. 'Either way, I know Lupin's in the hospital wing again. I was supposed to patrol with him tonight.'

'Poor Remus,' said Mary. 'I wish he could just tell us what's wrong with him, rather than trying to hide it. I see no reason why he should be ashamed of what he has.'

Severus kept his mouth shut as long as the conversation about the marauders lasted.

...

He met up with Lily later shortly before curfew down in the entrance hall.

All wrapped up in their cloaks and dragon hide gloves they made their way towards the snow-covered forest, staying in the shadows, so Hagrid wouldn't be able to see them.

'Just keep your wand ready, okay? I'll enter the forest through here and you can start looking over there,' he said while pointing further down the road.

Lily did as she was told and disappeared into the forest with her wand in hand and a glass jar tucked under her arm.

With his own wand raised up to shed light in the darkness of the forest, he started searching for the wolfsbane plant. After a few minutes he had found a little cluster of the plant, put the jar he had brought for himself down, and bent down to start picking.

The sound of hooves however, stopped him from uprooting the plant. A large stag was standing behind him with a furious complexion. Its breath fogging up the air around him.

'Good evening, Potter,' Severus said with a bored tone. 'How nice of you to come and see me, but I'm kind of busy at the moment.'

In a flash, the stag that was Potter stomped on the flowers Severus had been meaning to pick.

Severus stood up straight and folded his arms. 'You're digging your own grave here, Potter,' Severus said with a cold voice. 'I'm working on a potentially groundbreaking potion, you see. One that might just help that wolf friend of yours with his lycanthropy.'

Potter obviously couldn't talk back in his stag form, but he stepped away from the flowerbed, still blocking Severus from walking further into the forest.

'I know Lupin is out there in the forest,' Severus said darkly. 'Probably running around with that dog and his pet rat.'

In a flash, Potter started to morph back into his human form, but Severus was quicker. 'I wouldn't transform here if I were you Potter,' he said while holding up his wand against Potter's chest. 'Lily's out here with me, you see, and I highly doubt you want to expose your little secret to her.'

Halfway through the transformation Potter went back to his stag form and just in time too, as Lily just appeared from behind a tree.

'Sev,' Lily whispered. 'Are you talking to a stag?' Her eyes grew wide in wonder at the sight of Severus standing in front of the majestic creature.

'I think this one might be domesticated by centaurs,' Severus made up on the spot. 'Which is odd, since they are usually hunted down by them and eaten.'

'You think I can come closer?'

'I suppose, I don't think this beast is afraid of humans.'

Lily carefully walked up closer and held out her hand. 'He's beautiful,' she whispered as she petted him.

'Perhaps this magnificent beast can show us where we can find some more wolfsbane plants, considering it just trampled the little cluster I had managed to find.'

Severus looked sharply into Potter's deer eyes. Potter gave out a little nod, as if saying he understood that the plant could potentially help Lupin.

'What an intelligent creature,' Lily said, still mesmerized by the stag's presence.

Potter led the way a little further into the woods and stopped where a large patch of wolfsbane flowers grew. Lily and Severus immediately went to work, collecting as much of the flower and its roots as they could.

'Care to lead us safely back to the edge of the forest mister stag?' Lily asked Potter.

Taking the lead, Potter brought them back safely until they reached the back of Hagrid's hut.

'Goodbye,' Lily said while she hugged the creature. 'Thank you for your help, mister stag.'

Lily walked away from the creature so Severus could share his gratitude in private. He wrapped an arm around Potter's stag neck, pulling him closer, and whispered in his ear. 'I hope a centaur shoots an arrow up your arse for letting your dangerous friend run around in the forest like that,' he gritted through his teeth. 'Take some responsibility.'

Potter broke loose from his grip and ran off into the woods in search of his friends.

With their jars filled with wolfsbane, they walked back to the castle. 'I got to say, Sev, even though you were skeptical about taking care of magical creature classes, you sure have a gift with animals.'