Pre-Author's Notes: This fic is based on the manga, Hanazakari no Kimitachi e also known as For You in Full Blossom. I had to change some elements from the Harry Potter story to make it work, so live with it. Yes, I am aware that some of the facts from the Harry Potter series is off, but I had to change it for the story. ^^
I have only one more minute left to get ready. Lily quickly changed into her uniform. She knew exactly how long James took in the bathroom. She first quickly put on the vest that flattened down her chest. Next she put on her shirt and slipped on her pants. She put her socks then shoes. She looped her necktie closed and put her robes on. As soon as she finished, the bathroom door swung opened.
James emerged fully dressed, except for his robes, which were draped on his chair in front of the desk. "Are you ready?" he asked.
Lily gave him a bit of a nod. He looked at her briefly before walking up to her. "How can you go outside with your hair looking like a bird's nest?" he asked her as he smoothed out her hair.
"What about you?" she asked defensively.
"My hair is naturally like this. You don't have an excuse," said James. He turned and put on his robes.
"You treat me like a kid! How annoying!" exclaimed Lily as she brandished a fist at him.
"You're acting like a kid right now," said James. Just then, the door swung open. James' friends showed up. "Good morning."
"Morning, Prongs," said Sirius. "Good morning, Lucas."
"Good morning, Sirius. Remus. Peter," said Lily.
"Today's D-Day," said Sirius to James.
"You mean today is the day that James practices Quidditch again?" asked Lily.
Sirius opened his mouth and closed it. He wasn't talking about that. Of course, it was very important, but he was referring to something else entirely. "Of course. We're all looking forward to it," said Sirius.
"Hmm," said James. "Let's go and get some breakfast."
"Good morning, Lucas!" greeted Frank cheerfully.
"Morning, Frank. Max," said Lily to Frank's roommate, Maxwell Dubious. He made Professor Trelawney look like a joke because he was a very intuitive person. Most thought he really was psychic. His bed was right next to Frank's.
"Good morning, Lucas," said Max. He always gave Lily the creeps because he had a way of reading people. Lily could swear that he knew she was a girl. "Your aura looks good today." He said in a tone that was unlike Professor Trelawney's misty tone.
"Let's have breakfast already," said James. He took a seat, and Lily took the one next to him. Sirius and Peter looked at each other briefly. James was their leader. It was his business if he wanted to bring in someone else, but he really hadn't discussed Lily at all.
"Hey, Potter," said a cold, voice from behind. Lily turned and saw someone she had seen around, but never talked to before. He was wearing Slytherin colors. His hair was platinum blonde and his eyes were cold and gray. "I heard you were coming back to the field today," the boy drawled on. "I hope you're up for it."
Lily took an instant dislike to him. "Who do you think you are? He's ready for it!" she exclaimed defensively.
The boy turned his attention to her. "And who is this, Potter?" He leaned in forward, looking directly at her face.
"What do you want?" she demanded. James visibly stiffened when the boy started speaking.
"I'll see you around, Potter. And this little lady, too," said the boy as he turned to leave.
"Where to do you think you're going, you asshole?!" shouted Lily. James put his hand on her shoulder, preventing her from going after the boy and giving him a swift kick in the butt.
"Calm down, Lucas," said James.
"Who the Hell was that?" she asked.
"It's only Lucius Malfoy," replied Remus. "He's been James rival for a long as anyone can remember. He's the team captain of the Slytherin Team and their seeker."
"Yeah, he's only overconfident because James took a break. That's all. We'll one up him on Saturday," said Sirius with a grin.
"Hey, it's time for class," Peter reminded everyone.
Everyone split up for class. Lily couldn't shake the feeling that James and his friends were up to something. She always noticed when they had meetings. James never discussed what the meetings were about because they weren't Lily's business. She assumed that they were meeting because of the Quidditch team.
It was true. Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew weren't on the Quidditch team. Then again, Peter didn't have much in the way of physical ability, and Remus was always sick. He seemed more and more pale as the end of the month approached.
"I bet you're looking forward to the end of day, aren't you, Lucas? James will be back on the field," said Frank happily. "I'm really glad."
Lily nodded. "Frank, do you know anything about Remus Lupin's illness?" she asked.
Frank shook his head. "Not really. His friends always make people stop asking questions. For as long as I have known him, he's always been sick like that, but he's a really good Quidditch player. The last team captain always asked Remus to join, but he always said no," he said.
"I wonder if Dr. Pomfrey knows," said Lily.
"Yes, he knows, but he can't say anything. Even the Muggles have doctor-patient confidentiality," said Frank. Lily nodded and sighed. Maybe, she was making a big deal out of nothing.
*
"Okay, we go over this again. We go out to the tree just before the sunsets. That means we have to cut Quidditch practice short," said James. Sirius, Remus, and Peter nodded. "Moony, you and Wormtail, are going together to the Shrieking Shack first. Then, Padfoot and I will join you later."
"I hope this map is completely accurate," said Peter in a worried tone.
"Of course, it is. James and I doubled checked everything on it. We'll know where Dumbledore, McGonagall, and all the others are because of this little gem," Sirius quickly reassured him. "You worry too much."
"I still think this a really bad idea, Prongs," said Remus with a sigh. "I'll just do this like I normally do."
"No, we'll help you out this time. You won't be alone," insisted James. "Besides, it's interesting to see how far we can go."
Sirius decided to bring up new business, but he didn't really want to bring it up in front of Peter and Remus. It was something he wanted to discuss privately with James. "Why don't we go now, James? We'll be late for Quidditch practice," he announced.
"Okay, I'll meet you guys at the Shrieking Shack," said Remus with a smile. They weren't going to watch the Quidditch practice.
James and Sirius walked off towards the field. Sirius waited until some time passed before he decided to bring up his concerns. "James, there's something I have to ask you," said Sirius.
"What?" asked James, stopping because he had noticed that Sirius was no longer walking with him.
"About Lucas Evans," started Sirius.
"What about him?"
"You seem to be spending a lot of time with him. Are you thinking of asking him to join up with us?"
"No."
"Really?"
"No."
Sirius looked at James suspiciously. He wondered what was really going on with his best friend. He knew something was up, but he wasn't sure. Sirius could usually read James pretty well. "Do you know anything about Lucas Evans?" asked Sirius after allowing some silence to pass.
"What do you mean?" asked James, slightly unnerved by Sirius' question. "He's my roommate. It's not like I'm living with a hidden Death Eater, Padfoot."
"Hmm...okay," said Sirius. "Let's go to practice." James didn't like Sirius when he was suspicious of something. Sirius had a tendency to stick to something until he figured out everything about it. "Hey, Prongs! We can't start practice without our seeker. By the way, it's good to have you back." He flashed James a smile.
*
Lily was walking towards to library to finish reading for class when she collided with Lucius Malfoy in the hall. He looked at her closely.
"Hey, you're that Mudblood brat from this morning!" he exclaimed.
"Your powers of memory are astounding," hissed Lily sarcastically as she rolled her eyes at him before attempting to walk passed him. She could feel some tears pricking the corners of her eyes. They were tears of anger and outrage. How dare Malfoy call her a Mudblood?
"Wait a minute, little Mudblood, I was wondering if you knew where Potter was," said Lucius.
"I do know, but I'm not telling an overgrown half wit like you where he is. Besides, I don't think you should disturb him," said Lily.
"I think I know where he is...you're coming with me," said Lucius with a menacing grin on his face.
Lily stepped back away from him. "You're not going anywhere. And you're not taking me anywhere, you inbred snot!" she shouted.
"I didn't give you a choice," said Lucius as he picked her up. He slung her over his shoulder and took off running, while holding her like a caveman at the same time.
"Put me down you ape!" shouted Lily as she kicked and pounded her fists against his back.
"They're like feathers!" Lucius laughed as he commented about her blows. He stopped finally. Lily was so dizzy that she had no idea where she really was, but she could hear the sounds of swooshing broomsticks.
"Hey! Potty!" shouted Lucius. "Look what I have!"
James stopped for a moment to look down. Sirius moved away from him because of the look of anger on his face. James zoomed back down to the ground. "Malfoy, what do you want?" he demanded.
"I'm sorry, James. I tried to stop him, but he picked me up," said Lily. "Put me down you bloody bastard!"
"I wanted to see if it was true. So, you're back on the field, Potter? Pretty amazing," said Lucius. "Well...not as amazing as this little gem here. He's so light and soft. Just like a girl." He patted her butt when he said, "Just like a girl."
Lily's eyes widened when Lucius patted her behind. I'm going to kill you, Malfoy. Lily thought as her cheeks turned fire engine red.
James' tone dropped into a dangerously low level. "Give him back to me," he managed in a deadly calm voice. Lucius gave him a smirk before letting Lily down.
SMACK! Lucius pulled back in surprise as the back of Lily's hand made contact with his face. "You stupid ape!" she shouted before stalking off to James' side. "There, I feel better," she said as she shook the pain from her hand. It was worth it.
James stood there speechless for a moment, while the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team gathered nearby. "You brat!" exclaimed Lucius as he reached for Lily, but James blocked him. Studying the defensive look on James' face, Lucius decided to change his tactic a bit. The smirk returned to his face as he said, "Yep, he's definitely cute and spunky. I may have to borrow him sometime for a little fun. Right, Potter?"
James grabbed his shirt. "Mind your mouth, Malfoy," he warned.
Lucius grabbed James' Quidditch uniform. "I wouldn't be so sure of myself, if I were you, Potter. I'll defeat you this time. No matter what it takes."
Lily watched this with a look of horror on her face. She had never seen anything like it. She had never seen true animosity in her entire life. Then suddenly, to everyone's surprise, Lucius let go of James' Quidditch uniform, while James released Lucius' shirt.
Lucius turned around and stalked off. "We'll see if the great Potter still has what it takes to win," he drawled without looking back. "We'll see."
Lily was outraged again. She was about to say something, but James clamped his hand gently over her mouth. She struggled until she was loose from his grip. "YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO BEAT HIM, MALFOY, YOU INBRED, HALF-EVOLVED BABOON!" she shouted.
Malfoy stiffened up as he turned around. Is it possible that my rival is gay?! He thought frantically and happily when he spotted the way James was holding Lily. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," Malfoy as he turned back around and walked off with a grin on his face.
There was a stunned silence from everyone. James broke it by laughing out loud. Everyone was even more surprised by his laughter. It had been a while since James had laughed out loud like that. "Um...James," said Lily, not knowing what was so funny.
"Baboon?" he managed to say through his laughter. Finally, James had regained control of himself and cleared his throat. "Um...let's all go and get cleaned up. We'll end practice early today."
Sirius watched his best friend very carefully. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear that James was being very protective of "Lucas."
Frank watched it, too. He was laughing at what Lily had called Malfoy, but everyone was more surprised that James found it hysterical. It had been a while since they had seen him that happy. It was like a dark cloud was finally lifting off of him.
*
James had another motive for ending practice early, but the only person who knew why was Sirius. He also wanted to get cleaned up. Lily was at her desk doing her homework for Professor McGonagall's class. She had the third highest grade behind James and Sirius. She wasn't out to beat them, but she did want to improve her scores.
James made sure Lily was sufficiently distracted before getting his cloak of invisibility out of his trunk. He folded it carefully and tucked it into a bag. He was going to meet with Sirius before meeting with Remus and Peter. Lily was scribbling and crossing out things. She could do a transformation very easily with her wand once she figured out the right spell, but this particular spell was trying her patience.
"Do you need any help?" asked James.
"No, I'm fine," replied Lily. "I have to get this on my own." She turned around and saw James' bag. "Are you going out with your friends tonight?"
"Yeah, but I'll be back before curfew. And if I'm not..." trailed off James.
"I won't say anything," Lily finished. She had learned a few things about living with James. He always did things his way and preferred that no one asked questions. She also knew that even though he was a prefect, he still didn't follow school rules. Who was she to report him? She was hiding a big secret of her own and she wanted James to learn to trust her.
He gave her a smile. "I'm off. See you later," said James.
"Later," said Lily as she refocused on her work.
James met up with Sirius who had the map. They both nodded without a word as they used the map to sneak out of the castle. The sun was starting to set by that time. Before transforming, they made sure that no one was watching.
Under the moonlight, a proud stag walked in front of a massive black dog. They both walked up to the tree. A rat was waiting for them. He nodded at the other animals before scurrying off to press the appropriate knot on the massive willow. It was always risky being too close to the willow as everyone found out one year, but it was only risky to those who didn't know about the knot.
The three animals walked in single file with the stag bringing up the rear, and the rat leading them through. They all came to a halt when they heard the sounds of thrashing on the other side. The dog growled to make the rat move forward.
The sight the trio met up with reminded them of how unprepared they truly were. There was a wolf withering on the carpet and biting his own paws. He looked up at them with golden eyes.
The stag walked forward first. He peered at the wolf with his brown eyes. The wolf lowered his head as he turned away from the trio. He whimpered slightly. The dog stepped forward, so did the rat.
The wolf lifted his head as he looked at them. They were truly his best friends.
*
Lily had fallen asleep on her homework. It wasn't very late. It was only eight o' clock. She stood up and went for a walk. She thought of going to Gryffindor Tower to talk to the other people there. Or perhaps, she should have gone to the library. She was feeling a little lonesome because of James' absence.
I'll go and sit with Fang for a while. She thought happily as she went towards Hagrid's. Besides, she knew that James probably hadn't taken Fang out for his walk. Lily noticed how strange the air felt as she took Fang out for his walk.
She looked up at the full moon. Lily felt a strange shiver down her spine. It was odd. She had totally forgotten about it being a full moon. "Come on, Fang. Let's go back to Hagrid's for some tea," said Lily. She froze suddenly as Fang whimpered.
There came the sound of howling in the distance. "Let's go," urged Lily, but Fang didn't need telling twice. He was going to drag her back to Hagrid's anyway.
"All right, Lucas?" asked Hagrid when Lily came up with Fang.
"I don't know. It must be the full moon or something. Maybe, I'm just freaking out," said Lily with a laugh.
Hagrid poured her a cup of tea while Fang sat next to her. "There's nothin' ter worry about. I'm sure," he went on. He knew what Lily was talking about, but he was sure that the howling was coming from the Shrieking Shack. Along with the rest of the faculty, Hagrid knew about Remus Lupin's condition.
After another half an hour, Lily felt that it was safe enough outside to go back to her room. She was sure that James would be back by then. Hagrid didn't bother to ask why James hadn't taken Fang out for his walk. He thought that Lily was a good kid. Since Fang liked her, it didn't really bother Hagrid too much that she had volunteered to take him out.
"Good night, Hagrid," said Lily as she walked off.
"Are yeh sure yeh don't want me walking with yeh?" asked Hagrid.
"No, it's fine. There's plenty of light out and it's only 8:40. Thanks for the tea," said Lily as she walked off happily.
She decided to take another way to the castle. Maybe, she could drop by the kitchen and grab some snacks. Hagrid's cooking wasn't really all that great, so she didn't eat much. She had slept through dinner, so she was a trifle hungry.
She had made the mistake of taking the entrance that was around the corner from the Whomping Willow. She had no idea that her human scent was caught by a creature that preferred to attack humans.
Four animals had emerged from the willow. The rat lead the way out, while the stag, wolf, and dog followed. The animals had stopped because they could hear someone nearby. The wolf's ears had perked up. His breathing became low. No...no...I have to stop...he thought.
The stag carefully looked around as the dog kept his eyes trained on the wolf. Something finally gave. The wolf took off running, ready to hunt down his prey.
Lily was opening the door to the entrance. It seemed odd that no one was around when it was still considered early. She heard growling. Lily turned her head and saw the wolf. She took in all its features and quickly assessed that it was no ordinary wolf. It was a werewolf. "OH MY GOD!" she screamed in terror.
The wolf took a flying leap at her. Lily froze with fear. Someone...anyone...help me!
Post Author's Note: Will James ever tell Lily he knows? We'll have to all wait and see. He has his own reasons later on for keeping Lily's secret. Will Sirius figure it out? Frank? How long could this possibly go on? I can't nail Hagrid's speech patterns right. I know that I have mentioned it before. It's so frustrating because he's a great character, but I can't get him right. _ Remember, Remus isn't himself when he's a werewolf. That's why Sirius and James have to turn into large animals that can handle a werewolf.
I've always wanted to do a story where Lily falls in love with a certain stag. I think I get away with it here. I can do cute. ^_^ As always, any questions will be answered in the journal http://remyelf.livejournal.com. Since asking for twenty reviews worked out so well the last time, I'll ask for twenty more. The power of evil compels you. Thanks. ^^
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (For You in Full Blossom). I just borrowed these for my fic.
