House: Ravenclaw

Year: Seventh

Category: Standard

Prompt: [Weather] Snow

WC: 758

Lily Evans trudged through the knee-deep snow. It was rather light outside for the middle of the night, but that wasn't surprising considering that it was the full moon. She, of course, wasn't supposed to be outside, but she couldn't just let Avery get by with frightening the first years like that. There wasn't a werewolf on Hogwarts grounds. Even the thought of it was laughable.

A loud growl and an answering fit of sharp barking made her look up. And there in front of her was a majestic stag, that looked very much like a deer in headlights. Behind the stag was a strange sight: a large wolf, no, a larger werewolf that looked ready to pounce. A small black puppy, barking so hard at the wolf that it was shaking. And a large rat, clinging to the puppy's back.

The stag slowly turned its head towards the wolf, puppy, and rat. Then back at her. Then back at the animals.

"You are a very human deer," Lily muttered.

The stag stopped suddenly halfway to looking at the animals and jerked back to look at her again, much in the same way as it had when she first saw it.

"Okay," Lily began, "I'm just going to go back up to the castle." She slowly backed away from the strange group and side stepped around them, the stag's head and eyes following her every move. Before she turned her back on them Lily took one last look at the strange group. The puppy wasn't barking anymore, and instead was curled up on the wolf's paw. Other than that, nothing had changed.

She slowly turned and started up the slope, gradually picking up pace. There was a werewolf on Hogwarts grounds. That means that one of the students, or teachers, was a werewolf! She had just been three meters away from a werewolf and it hadn't bitten her.

By the time she reached the castle door she was running, and shaking from the cold. Breathing heavily, she slipped up the many sets of stairs to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Magpie," she said to the Fat Lady.

"You shouldn't be out at this hour," the Fat Lady responded.

"I know." Lily slipped through the portrait hole and up the girls staircase. Sleep didn't come easily though.

•••••

The chatter in the Great Hall was no louder than usual, but for some reason it bothered Lily more than usual today. It was probably because she was so tired. But of course, walking along the Gryffindor table she saw four people that looked more exhausted than she.

"Good morning Potter," she said. "What mischief have you four been up to today?"

Potter's head spun towards her his eyes were wide like… Like a deer in headlights!

But that wasn't possible. Glancing at the other three Marauders, Lily's mind sprung to life, trying to deduce what animals the others were. Sirius was obviously the dog, no one else could be so annoying, and Peter was the rat. That meant Remus was the werewolf.

Impossible! Remus was the kindest of the four of them, and one of the smartest people she knew. But then again, there was no proof that lycanthropy affected the personality of the person that…

"Alright Evans?" Potter asked. His brows seemed to be pulled together in genuine concern.

Lily nearly rolled her eyes. "Yes, Potter, I'm perfectly fine, thank you." She began to waltz past but stopped and turned back toward them. "You look awfully tired, Remus," she said, "are you up for prefect duty tonight?"

"What, me?" Remus looked up as if he'd only just realized that she was there, or that he was for that matter. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm just a but tired, that's all."

"Alright. Well, try and get a nap after classes, I'll see you around." With that Lily spun on her heel and continued down the table. She sat down next to Marlene and Alice and began loading her plate.

"Lily, you're finally awake," Alice said, looking at her. Lily could tell that she was about to burst with some piece of gossip. "Did you hear, there were wolf tracks found in the snow this morning, and you'll never guess what was near them. Human footprints."

"I've told you, Alice, that's ridiculous. There's no werewolves at Hogwarts," Marlene snapped back.

Lily smirked slightly and glanced at the Marauders as she began eating. There most certainly was a werewolf at Hogwarts. Just not in the way that everyone expected.