A/N: I'd like to thank all my wonderful reviewers. You guys are the best!!
Hey... are you actually reading this? *watches almost everybody skip down
to the chapter heading* These are here for a reason ya know!! *sighz*
Those of you who are reading this, I'd like to give you the Golden Rose.
@-------------
Kudos for being such a great reader. All the rest of you... HMPH.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 8: The "Explanation"
"Um... Talon? What are you doing?" said James looking at her.
She looked at him and the smile widened. She then let go off the sides off the window and with a kick, pushed herself through the opening.
The Marauders gaped at the opening for a moment then got up and ran over to the window staring down as Lily grew smaller and smaller.
"LILY!!" shrieked James Potter in a despairing tone...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The Marauders watched in horror for a moment then leapt into action. Or rather one leapt into action, one went berserk, one tried to restrain the one who went berserk, and one fainted.
Remus pointed his wand out the window and started casting all the spells that came to mind. The culmination of his efforts was a large, white, fluffy, talking mattress that appeared underneath Lily.
James was straining against Sirius' hold on him trying to do God only knows what with the offending window.
And Peter of course (because the author hates his slimy *insert swear word here* guts) lay prostrate on the floor.
After Remus had conjured the mattress, he ran over to help Sirius restrain the berserk James and the three... two watched anxiously. Berserk people really don't watch much of anything.
But something odd was happening. Lily was getting smaller. Of course she would because she was falling and all, but it was happening much quicker than it should. Then, all of a sudden, she vanished all together. James stopped moving and was as still as a statue and as pale. Remus let go of James' and ran to the window again. "What happened?" he practically screamed. "The mattress should have caught her!"
There was a long hoarse cry that echoed throughout the night. A dark, winged shape drifted over to them and alighted on the window. It was a pure black owl. Its feathers were soft and sleek and its claws were sharp and glinted softly in the night. But the feature that drew the boys' attention was not the feathers or the claws.
It was the eyes.
They were emerald.
"Talon," breathed James staring at the owl. The owl bowed low then flew down next to them.
The mattress down below sighed. "I NEVER get to be used," it said plaintively, before it vanished in a poof of smoke.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The three boys stood looking at Lily for a long moment. Then James leapt forward.
"ARE YOU MAD?!!" he shrieked taking her by the shoulders and shaking her slightly. "YOU MUST BE!!! WHAT IF THE TRANSFORMATION HAD GONE WRONG???!!!!" he shrieked shaking so loudly in his fury that his lovely little clown wig popped off and fell to the floor.
Lily winced and put her hands to her ears. "You should say it a bit louder James, dear. I don't think they heard you in Australia."
Breathing hard, his brown eyes still blazing, James stepped away from her and blocked the window while crossing his arms.
Lily rolled her eyes and sat down in a chair as if nothing had happened. Remus was still blinking but Sirius had already recovered. "Lily, I think you owe us an apology at the very least! What on earth were you thinking? In fact, a better question would be, WERE you thinking?" Sirius said sitting down in another chair and glaring at Lily.
"Well, when Peter... speaking of where is he?" Lily said looking around for the boy.
(("Oh leave him be. The author doesn't like him," said Remus, ever the courteous one.))
"Right there," Remus said as he crossed to Peter's side and lifted him up onto the couch, ever the courteous one. "He fainted when you jumped," Remus continued crossing back over to Lily and sitting in the chair on her other side.
Lily sighed. "I'm sorry. I was... proving something to you, and something to myself," she said with a glance at James.
"How long have you been an animagus?" Remus said, his voice a little cold, his eyes a little hard.
Lily shifted uncomfortably. "I... I've been working on it since second year when Professor McGonagall showed us her talent. It... gave me an idea. I only finally cracked it earlier this year. About the third week," she said in a low, apologetic voice. Remus was appeased by the tone in her voice. Sirius was almost appeased, but James was still incensed and was refusing to look at her.
"We cracked it the week before Christmas vacation," Sirius replied in a civil if cold tone. "I'm a..."
"No wait!" she said putting up a hand to stop him. "Lemme guess!" Lily said with a smile. She looked at Peter for a moment. "Wormtail... either a... rat or mouse or some other rodent or something. Moony's obvious um... Padfoot... some kind of... dog? And Prongs..." her brow furrowed in thought. "Nope, I'm stumped. What are you James?"
James looked at her frostily. "A stag," he said, his voice clipped and short.
Remus jumped in at that point to prevent another blow-up. "Peter is a rat. (A/N: In SOOOOO many ways...) And Sirius is a large black dog. Almost like a grim."
Lily laughed. "Sirius Black, the omen of death. Yeah, I'd say that sums him up pretty well. Except it should be the CAUSE of death."
Remus smiled and Sirius picked up a pillow and hurled it at her to hide his smile.
James glared at Lily furiously. "I'm going to bed," he said turning and stomping up the stairway.
Sirius jumped up. "Me too! I want to get this dress off!" he said running at top speed up the stairs.
Remus laughed and Lily smiled but it was a troubled sort of smile. Remus looked at her and saw it. "Talon? What's wrong?"
Lily opened her mouth, fully intending to say nothing but then she saw the open look on his face and sighed. "He's awfully mad at me," she said wistfully, looking after the two boys.
"You gave us quite a scare," Remus replied.
"But... um... you..." she stopped, not knowing how to continue.
Remus smiled. "I'm not James," he said. He stood up with a yawn. "Well, I think I'll be off too Lily," he went to Peter's side and shook him awake then helped him to his feet. "Good-night Lily," he said helping Peter up the stairs.
"Good-night Remus."
Lily sat for a long moment staring into space and then she leapt to her feet began to pace back and forth thinking the incidents of the night over in her mind. Her pacing took her dangerously close to the fire and a particularly loud crack caused her to fall over backward accidentally kicking Rose's chair. Rose yawned then sat up rubbing her eyes. Seeing Lily on the floor rubbing her head, Rose reached down a hand and helped her up.
"Is the game over?" Rose said sleepily.
Lily smiled at her, a broad smile filled with mischief. "Oh yes, its over for tonight," she said as she sat back down in her chair. Rose got to her feet and said goodnight and left the room for the girl's dormitory. "But far from finished," Lily said, shooting a challenging look after Rose.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: I own Elly Mae, Kit Marium, Lucille Ames, Tina and Carla Smith, Rose Botiana, and Professor Emma Willow. I own all of the last names that were mentioned even if I don't have a character to go with it. I also own the plot and Pumbleroses.
Speaking of plots... tell me what you think of this one. Is it too cliché? I tried my best to be original. Did I succeed? Tell me in a review!
@-------------
Kudos for being such a great reader. All the rest of you... HMPH.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 8: The "Explanation"
"Um... Talon? What are you doing?" said James looking at her.
She looked at him and the smile widened. She then let go off the sides off the window and with a kick, pushed herself through the opening.
The Marauders gaped at the opening for a moment then got up and ran over to the window staring down as Lily grew smaller and smaller.
"LILY!!" shrieked James Potter in a despairing tone...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The Marauders watched in horror for a moment then leapt into action. Or rather one leapt into action, one went berserk, one tried to restrain the one who went berserk, and one fainted.
Remus pointed his wand out the window and started casting all the spells that came to mind. The culmination of his efforts was a large, white, fluffy, talking mattress that appeared underneath Lily.
James was straining against Sirius' hold on him trying to do God only knows what with the offending window.
And Peter of course (because the author hates his slimy *insert swear word here* guts) lay prostrate on the floor.
After Remus had conjured the mattress, he ran over to help Sirius restrain the berserk James and the three... two watched anxiously. Berserk people really don't watch much of anything.
But something odd was happening. Lily was getting smaller. Of course she would because she was falling and all, but it was happening much quicker than it should. Then, all of a sudden, she vanished all together. James stopped moving and was as still as a statue and as pale. Remus let go of James' and ran to the window again. "What happened?" he practically screamed. "The mattress should have caught her!"
There was a long hoarse cry that echoed throughout the night. A dark, winged shape drifted over to them and alighted on the window. It was a pure black owl. Its feathers were soft and sleek and its claws were sharp and glinted softly in the night. But the feature that drew the boys' attention was not the feathers or the claws.
It was the eyes.
They were emerald.
"Talon," breathed James staring at the owl. The owl bowed low then flew down next to them.
The mattress down below sighed. "I NEVER get to be used," it said plaintively, before it vanished in a poof of smoke.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The three boys stood looking at Lily for a long moment. Then James leapt forward.
"ARE YOU MAD?!!" he shrieked taking her by the shoulders and shaking her slightly. "YOU MUST BE!!! WHAT IF THE TRANSFORMATION HAD GONE WRONG???!!!!" he shrieked shaking so loudly in his fury that his lovely little clown wig popped off and fell to the floor.
Lily winced and put her hands to her ears. "You should say it a bit louder James, dear. I don't think they heard you in Australia."
Breathing hard, his brown eyes still blazing, James stepped away from her and blocked the window while crossing his arms.
Lily rolled her eyes and sat down in a chair as if nothing had happened. Remus was still blinking but Sirius had already recovered. "Lily, I think you owe us an apology at the very least! What on earth were you thinking? In fact, a better question would be, WERE you thinking?" Sirius said sitting down in another chair and glaring at Lily.
"Well, when Peter... speaking of where is he?" Lily said looking around for the boy.
(("Oh leave him be. The author doesn't like him," said Remus, ever the courteous one.))
"Right there," Remus said as he crossed to Peter's side and lifted him up onto the couch, ever the courteous one. "He fainted when you jumped," Remus continued crossing back over to Lily and sitting in the chair on her other side.
Lily sighed. "I'm sorry. I was... proving something to you, and something to myself," she said with a glance at James.
"How long have you been an animagus?" Remus said, his voice a little cold, his eyes a little hard.
Lily shifted uncomfortably. "I... I've been working on it since second year when Professor McGonagall showed us her talent. It... gave me an idea. I only finally cracked it earlier this year. About the third week," she said in a low, apologetic voice. Remus was appeased by the tone in her voice. Sirius was almost appeased, but James was still incensed and was refusing to look at her.
"We cracked it the week before Christmas vacation," Sirius replied in a civil if cold tone. "I'm a..."
"No wait!" she said putting up a hand to stop him. "Lemme guess!" Lily said with a smile. She looked at Peter for a moment. "Wormtail... either a... rat or mouse or some other rodent or something. Moony's obvious um... Padfoot... some kind of... dog? And Prongs..." her brow furrowed in thought. "Nope, I'm stumped. What are you James?"
James looked at her frostily. "A stag," he said, his voice clipped and short.
Remus jumped in at that point to prevent another blow-up. "Peter is a rat. (A/N: In SOOOOO many ways...) And Sirius is a large black dog. Almost like a grim."
Lily laughed. "Sirius Black, the omen of death. Yeah, I'd say that sums him up pretty well. Except it should be the CAUSE of death."
Remus smiled and Sirius picked up a pillow and hurled it at her to hide his smile.
James glared at Lily furiously. "I'm going to bed," he said turning and stomping up the stairway.
Sirius jumped up. "Me too! I want to get this dress off!" he said running at top speed up the stairs.
Remus laughed and Lily smiled but it was a troubled sort of smile. Remus looked at her and saw it. "Talon? What's wrong?"
Lily opened her mouth, fully intending to say nothing but then she saw the open look on his face and sighed. "He's awfully mad at me," she said wistfully, looking after the two boys.
"You gave us quite a scare," Remus replied.
"But... um... you..." she stopped, not knowing how to continue.
Remus smiled. "I'm not James," he said. He stood up with a yawn. "Well, I think I'll be off too Lily," he went to Peter's side and shook him awake then helped him to his feet. "Good-night Lily," he said helping Peter up the stairs.
"Good-night Remus."
Lily sat for a long moment staring into space and then she leapt to her feet began to pace back and forth thinking the incidents of the night over in her mind. Her pacing took her dangerously close to the fire and a particularly loud crack caused her to fall over backward accidentally kicking Rose's chair. Rose yawned then sat up rubbing her eyes. Seeing Lily on the floor rubbing her head, Rose reached down a hand and helped her up.
"Is the game over?" Rose said sleepily.
Lily smiled at her, a broad smile filled with mischief. "Oh yes, its over for tonight," she said as she sat back down in her chair. Rose got to her feet and said goodnight and left the room for the girl's dormitory. "But far from finished," Lily said, shooting a challenging look after Rose.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: I own Elly Mae, Kit Marium, Lucille Ames, Tina and Carla Smith, Rose Botiana, and Professor Emma Willow. I own all of the last names that were mentioned even if I don't have a character to go with it. I also own the plot and Pumbleroses.
Speaking of plots... tell me what you think of this one. Is it too cliché? I tried my best to be original. Did I succeed? Tell me in a review!