Chapter 18
The group went to dinner, Cat complaining about stomachs.
"But, Cat, we NEED them. What will make your food into--" began Sirius.
"Sirius! We DON'T need to hear that before dinner," scolded Lily.
"Touchy, touchy. Mmmm... that smells good."
Sirius and James practically floated toward the smell of the food in the Great Hall. The others rolled their eyes and quickly followed. Lily sat as far away from James as possible, while still being near her friends, then noticed one was missing.
"Where's Remus?" asked Lily.
"I don't know. He went to Dumbledore's office this afternoon. Didn't he come back?" asked Jenni, beginning to worry.
As if he had been listening, and planning on that, Remus entered, looking more pale and sickly than usual. Sirius and James looked at one another, worried. Remus sat down.
"Remus, are you okay?" asked Lily, concerned.
Jenni practically ran around the table to get to him. He nodded, as Jenni sat next to him.
"Moony, are you sure?" asked James.
Remus shrugged.
"You don't know? Re, what happened?" asked Elektra
He looked sadly up at them.
"My parents--" He broke off, seeing that they understood. "And my baby sister."
Lily moved down the bench and hugged him.
"Hey, Re, you can have Lily's sister. Scare her to death, maybe," said Sirius.
"Maybe vice- versa, Lily's sister, what was it, Petty? Well, she's REALLY ugly, she'd scare Remus to death, she's terrifying," voiced James.
Lily rolled her eyes, and began to eat, as Remus force-fed himself, only because Sirius and James were threatening to tell Snape and Malfoy his secret.
That night, Lily quietly broke away from the Gryffindors, and tip toed across the grounds to Hagrid's Hut. She knocked, and he quietly opened the door.
"'Ello Lily. Nice ter see you again. C'mon in," said the large half giant.
"Thank you Hagrid."
She stepped in, he was making tea. She took in the sights of the hut, as a large puppy trotted happily up to her and jumped onto his hind legs to indicate he wanted to be picked up. Lily smiled and lifted the year old boarhound off the ground into her lap.
"How's school goin' fer yeh, Lily?"
"Same as always. I got a good start, I've finished my homework for this week, and probably next. I've made the house team. I'm a beater."
"Tha's jus' great! Good fer you! I'll try to come and see th' matches now."
Lily smiled.
"How're things with you?"
"Good, young Lupin came to see me earlier today. Tol' me what 'ad 'appened. Shame, it is, killing off one of the most prominent Wizarding families, or potential Wizarding families."
He winked at Lily, who pretended not to notice.
"How are your pumpkins coming along?"
"Fine. They gettin' bigger 'n usual. An' I haven' been helpin' 'em... much."
Lily laughed, she looked at her watch. Nine o'clock.
"Oh dear, Linus'll be out to get me if I don't get back. Sorry to run like this Hagrid, but-"
"I understand. Don' want Linus to catch yeh, do we?"
He smiled and winked at Lily, again. She returned the smile and ran out the door to the castle. Half way to the castle, she ran into something... or was it nothing? She looked around to see what she had bumped into, then Sirius seemed to come out of nowhere, but she couldn't tell.
"Lily?" he said, astounded.
"Lily Evans out past lights out?" said another voice, one she hadn't heard in quite a while.
Sirius and Peter were standing above her.
"What are you two doing here?" said Lily.
Sirius grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him.
"C'mon, me and you can go inside..."
Sirius wiggled his eyebrows, and Peter looked as though he was about to hurl. Lily laughed at Sirius.
"No, I've got homework to do."
He kissed her.
"So? You can do it tomorrow."
She laughed again.
"Lemme go, Sirius."
"Padfoot," said Peter, urgently.
Lily and Sirius jumped, forgetting about him. Sirius sighed.
"I'm coming. I'll see you later, my fiery woman."
Lily laughed and walked into the castle, and she quietly sneaked her way back up to McGonagall's classroom, using strange cat- like qualities. About five feet from a tapestry which led to the Transfiguration Hall, was Linus, heading right for her. She looked around, next to the window ledge was a low beam. She jumped onto the ledge, against her better judgment, and then climbed on top of the beam, and waited for Linus to go by. He just stood there for a long while, when the tapestry fluttered, making Linus look around. When he was satisfied, he walked away. Lily sighed in relief, jumped down off the ledge, and behind the tapestry, into the dark, and once again, bumping into something.
"Damn, this just isn't my night," she said.
"Really? Why not?" came the familiar voice.
"Hello Potter."
"Hi. Why isn't it your night?"
"I'm continuously running into things."
"I'm sorry."
He was so close to her, that he could smell her hair, and she could hear him breathing. He leaned close to kiss her.
"I have to go. It's getting late, and we have classes tomorrow," said Lily, quickly, and ran the rest of the way to McGonagall's classroom.
James just stood there for a while, stunned.
"Classes? Tomorrow's Sunday."
He then walked slowly outside. Lily tiptoed into the classroom, where Snape and Elektra were waiting.
"Took you long enough," he grumbled.
"Shut up greasy! She has a good reason she's late, so lay off. You're lucky she came, or I would have killed you," said Elektra quietly, where Lily didn't hear her.
She turned on him.
"You're lucky I came at all. James is the next smartest in the year, would you rather have HIM tutor you?" said Lily, acidly.
"No," Snape mumbled.
"Okay then, which first?"
"Charms," said Elektra.
"All right then, first, do the simple swish and flick."
He looked at her.
"I'm not stupid, I'm just having a spot of trouble."
"All right."
She went through Charms, helping them with whatever they were having trouble. Then she went up to her dorms and went to bed. Over the next few weeks things seemed to be normal, Quidditch practice went on normal, and Lily seemed to be happy, and doing very well in Quidditch. The first match was Ravenclaw versus Hufflepuff, in late November. Ravenclaw won.
"Now, we play Ravenclaw, right?" Jenni asked James.
"No, Hufflepuff, then the winner plays the loser of Ravenclaw and Slytherin, then the winner and the loser of that game play, and the of the second game—"
"James, you're confusing everyone, let me try," said Lily, forming a hypothetical schedule on her parchment. "Okay, Ravenclaw played Hufflepuff, they won. Slytherin now plays Ravenclaw, and we play Hufflepuff. Say we win, and so does Slytherin, we play Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff plays Slytherin. Say the same two teams win, then, we play Slytherin for the Cup."
"Oh! Thanks Lil!" said Jenni.
Lily laughed.
The next game was Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Gabby got the Quaffle first and Gryffindor pretty much kept the Quaffle. Hufflepuff got it close to their goal, but Frank tackled the Hufflepuff Chaser and got it back, the final score was 400- 0. Gryffindor celebrated late into the night.
"We're on our way to victory!" Sirius said, standing on a table.
The Tower shook with cheers from the Gryffindors. For Christmas, Lily stayed at her grandmother's home in London, a large manor, and close to Sirius. The first day of break, Lily wandered London, avoiding her sister at all costs. She shopped at Muggle stores, then became bored and went into the Leaky Cauldron.
"'Allo, Lily!"
"Hey Tom."
"Wha're you doin' 'ere?"
"I'm staying in my grandmother's winter mansion for Christmas."
"'Er Win'er mansion?"
Lily laughed.
"Yes, then she has a spring cottage and a summer manor."
"Oh, I see now. You wan'in' to go into Diagon Alley?"
"Yes, sir."
He smiled and let her out the back. She tapped the bricks and walked into Diagon Alley. She went into Quality Quidditch supplies and saw four heads that she recognized. She walked up behind James, and pushed in his knee, causing him to stumble, then she jumped on Sirius's back.
"Why hello, Lily," said Mr. Potter.
"Hello Mr. Potter, hello Mrs. Potter. Hi James, hey Sirius," she said, standing on her own feet.
"What are you doing here?" asked Mrs. Potter.
"My grandmother has a mansion on the outskirts, and she lives there in the winter."
"Oh, are you having fun?"
"Not really. I'm bored and I'm trying to avoid Petunia."
"I wonder why," said James sarcastically.
Lily laughed.
"Yeah, she's been offering to cook a 'magical feast' meaning me."
"I'll protect you Lily!" said Sirius, brandishing a club as if it were a sword and he were Zorro.
"Thanks, but I think that would only make things worse, unless James were to come over and keep her busy."
Sirius and Lily both looked at James who was horrified.
"No! No! No! She's scary! I'm not entirely sure what you mean by busy, but I don't care!"
Lily and Sirius laughed at him, and Mr. and Mrs. Potter had to turn away.
"That isn't nice, James," Mrs. Potter.
"Have you met Petunia?" asked Lily.
"I have and she seems... misinformed."
"Brainwashed or Satan, but misinformed is too nice."
Sirius laughed.
"She's mean, too."
"You're telling me!" said Lily.
James looked at her strangely. Mr. and Mrs. Potter looked from one to the other.
"What's she going to do? Push you down the stairs?" asked James.
Sirius whipped around to look at him, shooting him a 'shut up or I'll kill you' look. Lily froze for a second, but acted like she didn't know what James was talking about.
"I fall down the stairs enough on my own, thanks though, James."
Mr. and Mrs. Potter looked at one another, shrugged and let the three talk.
"James, I don't see why you insist on the theory that Lily was lying to us then," said Sirius.
"Would you all like to have dinner with us tonight? Petunia's staying the night with a friend of hers, and won't be home, and Grandmother wanted me to find a friend to invite to dinner," said Lily to Mrs. Potter.
"That would be lovely, I'd love to meet your grandmother," said Mrs. Potter.
"Good, could you all come around, about seven thirty?"
"Absolutely."
Lily smiled and Sirius pulled her away to look at Beater's equipment, in the far corner of the store.
"What are you doing?" laughed Lily.
Sirius grinned as he leaned onto an empty wall, and put his hands on her hips, and pulled her to him, kissing her.
"Padfoot?" came James's voice.
They two broke apart. Sirius sighed.
"Yeah?"
James walked up to them, saw them.
"Oh, damn."
Lily smiled a little.
"I have to go anyway. More shopping to do," she said, walking for the door.
"Lily," said Sirius, coming up behind her. She turned around, right in front of the door. "Sorry."
She smiled and kissed him.
"Why?"
She walked out the door, and down the street. That night, The Potters, and Sirius ate with Lily and her grandmother, then they went home. When they got back to school, Sirius sat next to Lily at dinner and pinched her just above her knee, causing her to jump.
"You okay, Lils?" Cat asked her.
Lily nodded and leaned close to Sirius and put her nose to his cheek.
"Will you stop that?" she asked him
He grinned, and did it again.
"Nope."
She laughed.
"C'mon, Sirius, stop."
"I dunno."
She gave him the sad puppy dog face.
"Please?"
"Oh fine."
She grinned.
"Thank you."
"Can we talk after dinner?"
"Yes."
Remus looked at James.
"Tell him," said Remus.
James looked up from his plate.
"Tell who what?"
"You're going out with Gabby and he's going out with Lily, we all know it should be the other way around, and you know it, too."
"I don't want to date her."
Remus rolled his eyes.
"Why is it that now, you only let yourself get caught when you have a chance to get a detention with her?"
James laughed shortly.
"I do not." Remus gave him a look, that screamed 'WHATEVER!', "That's sheer coincidence, Moony."
Remus rolled his eyes.
"Whatever you say, Prongs."
James ignored Remus, trying to pay attention to whatever Gabby was talking about. Something about Majorca, or the Bahamas, who knows? Some island that she wants to go to this summer. He nodded at her occasionally, then taking bites of food between "yep" s and "uh huh" s, creating the image he was listening. Eventually Sirius clapped him on the back, bringing his back to reality.
"C'mon, Prongs! Let us go to bed!" Sirius said loudly.
James laughed.
"Let us go, Padfoot, old man!"
"Old man? AH! How dare you!" said Sirius, as though James had insulted him.
"I hope you're no old man. Old men are wrinkly," said Lily, grinning, and walking by.
"Lily!" scolded Gabby.
"I'm only joking."
"SURE y'are, Evans, SURE y'are," said James.
"Well, I doubt it's Sirius who's wrinkly."
She looked at him pointedly, and Gabby gasped at Lily's bluntness.
"Lily!" she said.
Lily grinned and walked ahead of them. Sirius looked as though his birthday had come early.
"I won the jackpot with her!" he said, running to catch up with her.
James watched as Sirius ran up to Lily, nearly tackled her and kissed her on the neck, making her giggle. James pushed Lily from his mind and continued on. Remus looked at James knowingly, but James ignored him. The snow melted with the gray clouds and spring had finally arrived at Hogwarts. James tossed a Dungbomb at Lily and she hit him, then he threw another one at her right in front of McGonagall. The Transfiguration teacher sighed.
"What a way to start out spring! Detention in the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid."
She walked away, and Lily glared at James.
"What?" he asked.
"You got me ANOTHER detention! I have things to do, y'know!"
"So do I!"
Lily stormed out of the Great Hall, Sirius sighing and standing up.
"What'd you have to that for? I hate when I have to do this," he said leaving the Great Hall to try and convince Lily that James was really a great guy.
Lily was sitting in the courtyard, watching the birds fly by.
"Don't even bother, Sirius. I know he's a great guy," she began sarcastically, "but he's still mean! I don't see how anyone can be that heartless and have people think he's the greatest."
Sirius sat next to her.
"Lil, he's not that bad, he just finds it funny to make you angry. I think it's sexy. Your cheeks turn red and your eyes flash, and your nostrils flare a little, and it's really very hot."
Lily couldn't help but laugh.
"You think any female with all the right holes, and arms and legs is hot."
"That's not true. I think Bertha Jorkins is scary."
"You also think she's a man."
He nodded.
"Yeah, so?"
Lily rolled her eyes.
"Never mind. I have to go get ready for another detention full of Potter."
She stood up and walked away. She met James and Filch along with Snape, and a Hufflepuff girl in front of the Great Oak Doors and Filch led them out to Hagrid's hut and Hagrid took them into the forest. Snape and the Hufflepuff looked immensely nervous, but Lily and James were very calm, Lily holding onto Fang's collar.
"Calm down, boy," she cooed at the boarhound.
He immediately slowed and nuzzled her side, but he was still shaking. Hagrid stopped.
"All righ' well, we're lookin' fer some Nifflers, them werewolves bin eatin' 'em, and they're defenseless against 'em."
James and Lily looked at each other, but the other two looked terrified.
"Hagrid, are we splitting up?" Lily asked him.
The half giant sighed and nodded.
"Tha's why I brought Fang. You two take 'im, and I got these two."
Lily and James nodded and went left and Hagrid, Snape and the Hufflepuff went the other way, both students glaring at Lily and James.
"Well, this is what, the second time we've been in here alone?" James joked.
Lily laughed a little.
"Yeah, I think it's a trend, James."
He laughed.
"You wish."
"Do I?"
He grinned and winked at her. She pretended to become faint and giggly. James laughed.
"See? I even get you going."
Lily rolled her eyes.
"You keep thinking that, James, you keep thinking that."
They both laughed, looked at each other, then stopped, and continued to walk the path. They heard something in front of them, and James jumped in front of Lily and Fang whimpered and backed away.
"Stand back, Lily."
She smiled a little at his chivalry, but walked around him.
"Hello, Ronan," Lily said to the rustling.
A red haired centaur walked through the bushes.
"My, my, my, it has been sometime, Lily Evans," he said. She smiled and shook his hand, James shaking his hand too. "And James Potter. What brings you both to our forest?"
"Detention. We're looking for Nifflers, have you seen them by any chance?"
"Not live ones. They've hidden themselves well." He looked to the sky. "Pluto is out."
James rolled his eyes and Lily elbowed him a little.
"Does that mean anything?"
"Everything means something."
Lily looked up, and James followed suit. Fang nudged Lily's leg and she looked at him, putting her hand on his head.
"Sorry to run like this, Ronan, but we must find those Nifflers. If you see any living ones, let us know, would you?"
"It is not yet dawn, no where near, yet Pluto is out."
"Bye, Ronan."
Lily, James and Fang walked away from the stargazer and down the path.
"What is Fang doing?" James asked.
Lily looked at the boarhound, he was digging at the base of a huge oak tree and she knelt down next to him.
"He must have found something. What is it, boy?"
He looked up at Lily, licked her face, then kept digging, a few minutes later, he pulled up a small, furry, black animal.
"It's a Niffler," said James.
Lily examined it, then stood.
"It's dead. Fang, sniff, see if you can find them."
Lily gently held it and Fang sniffed it then he went to run ahead, but James grabbed his collar and had to use all of his weight to keep Fang from running ahead of them. Lily placed the small animal back into the ground and buried it again. James let go of Fang, and the two ran after him, trying not to lose him.
"How. Long. Must. We. Keep. Going?" James managed between breaths.
"Until. He. Stops."
A few minutes later they came to a clearing where Fang was sniffing around, and there were frightened squeaks all around. Lily looked and saw burrows, and she smiled.
"We find them?"
"We found them. You wanna send up the sparks?"
He grinned, and held his wand up and shot gold sparks up into the air. A few minutes later Hagrid, Snape and the Hufflepuff ran into the clearing, the students red in the face and out of breath.
"I bin through here and ne'er seen 'em," said Hagrid.
"Listen."
No one spoke and they listened and heard whimpering from all around them.
"Them's Niffler's all righ'."
Lily smiled and Fang sat next to her.
"How do we get them out of here?" whined the Hufflepuff.
"We don' they won' leave here withou' a fight, we're just gonna hav ta protect them."
Lily and James looked at one another.
"We can do it," they said in unison, they looked at one another and moved away from the other.
Hagrid nodded.
"Go fer it."
"You all might want to get out of the center," said Lily.
The three moved away and Lily and James stood on opposite ends and put up several charms and wards to protect the small creatures. Once that was done, they were on their way back to the school, when Fang ran off into the forest.
"Fang!" yelled Hagrid.
"We'll get him, you get those two out. We'll be back in a minute, come on, James."
James nodded and the two worked their way through thorns and bushes, many scratching up their faces, but were afraid to use magic on them, just in case it used it back.
"Fang!" called James.
"C'mere, Fang!" Lily yelled.
There was a rustling and a bark from a bush several yards away from them.
"Come on, Fang, let's go."
An animal jumped out of the bush and ran at Lily. Lily was frozen where she stood.
"James!" she shrieked.
"Lily!"
A large stag jumped out in front of her and charged the werewolf, who attacked him instead. The stag's antlers impaled the creature, causing it to run away, whimpering, but not before it had scratched the majestic animal something terrible. The stag stumbled toward the trees, but didn't make it before he fell. Lily ran to him.
"Oh my God, James, are you all right?"
The stag looked up at her, then the white buck seemed to melt away and revealed James's sallow face.
"How—how did you know?"
She put his head in her lap, and pushed his hair out of his eyes.
"Cat told me. She told me when I was thinking about becoming one, too."
"Did you?"
"No. That would be weird if I was a giraffe and I married a man whose Animagus was a bird, what kind of child might we have?"
James laughed.
"Point taken."
He took her hand.
"Thank you, James."
He smiled.
"You've saved my life before."
She smiled back at him.
"We're always saving each other. Honestly! If we didn't have the other we both would have died ages ago."
He laughed a little.
"Too true."
The bushes rustled and James became his stag form and stood between the bushes and Lily. Fang staggered out of the bushes, bleeding badly. James became human again and nearly fell over, but Lily caught him and helped him to a tree, and propped him up, and she bandaged his wounds, then Fang's injuries.
"You think you can walk, with my help?"
James nodded.
"Yea, you think Fang can make it out?"
Lily looked at the pathetic looking dog and smiled at him.
"I think he wants to be carried, but he's going to have to walk."
"No, I'll get him, if you get me."
Lily laughed.
"All right."
Lily helped James to his feet and lifted Fang into James's arms, and Lily put her right arm around James's waist and they slowly walked out of the forest and saw Hagrid waiting for them, he looked as though he'd been crying. When he saw them he ran over to them and took Fang from James, then saw them both.
"Wha' happened? You look as though you two bin in a fight." Hagrid asked, worried.
"Well, I think Fang fought him before I did, but we got him, didn't we Fang?"
Fang let out a victorious bark, causing Lily and James to laugh.
"I'm taking James to the Hospital Wing now, we'll see you in the morning," said Lily.
"Night you two," said Hagrid.
Lily helped James to the Hospital Wing, only to find Madame Pomfrey had gone to London to her sister. Lily sighed.
"Bugger," she muttered.
"I'm fine," said James, standing.
James tried not to scream, but his face scrunched up in pain, and Lily made him sit down again.
"Take off your shirt."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Lily, I'm not in the best physical state."
She rolled her eyes.
"Keep dreaming, James. If that were the case, we certainly wouldn't be in the Hospital Wing, and I wouldn't have asked you, plus, I have a boyfriend. Just do as I say."
He grinned and watched her bustle around the cabinets for potions and cloths, as he took off his robes and then unbuttoned his shirt. Lily returned a minute later, putting cloths dampened with potions on his body.
"Thanks, Lily."
She smiled at him.
"No problem, James. After saving me, you don't think I'd let you lie in pain, did you? It didn't bite you, did it?"
"No, werewolves don't eat animal meat, usually."
"What do they eat?"
"They don't, unless they're a human werewolf, then they eat when they're human."
Lily nodded, and concentrated hard on healing James's wounds. Soon, he was as good as new.
"There ya go! Now, you're in the right physical state," she joked.
He laughed.
"You think anyone's in the Astronomy Tower? We could go up there."
James winked and Lily rolled her eyes and laughed.
"No, we won't."
"All right, Lily. One question, though."
They walked out of the Hospital Wing, James fully dressed again.
"Ask away."
"Where did you learn all about Healing?"
"Madame Pomfrey has been showing me for years how to do things. She says I'm in there enough that I might as well learn something while I'm in there."
He laughed.
"Wow, well, I'm glad she's been teaching you."
"Onomonopia."
"CREAK," said the Fat lady as she opened up.
"Goodnight, James," said Lily walking up the staircase to the Girls' Dorms.
"Night, Lily."
He went to his room and saw Sirius, and Remus both sitting on Sirius's bed, playing chess, waiting up for him.
"Hey Jamesie! What took you so long?" asked Sirius.
"We saw you come out of the forest an hour ago, with you arm around a certain red- head, who is dating a certain idiot in this room," said Remus.
James laughed.
"When we were coming out with Hagrid and the other two, Fang ran away and Lily and I went after him, well, we were attacked and I transformed and wrestled the werewolf to the ground and it scratched me up pretty good, and Lily took me to the Hospital Wing ot find Madame Pomfrey gone, so Lily healed me."
"Werewolf?" said Remus.
"You transformed?" asked Sirius.
"She wasn't looking, but she knew it was me. She knows about our other forms."
"I knew she knew about me, but I didn't know she knew about you three," said Remus.
"Well, she does. Fang was hurt too, but Lily bandaged us up and we got out of the forest, I was hurt pretty good, so she helped me walk."
"So... is she as bad as you've always thought?" Sirius inquired.
Remus smiled at James, knowingly, but James just shrugged.
"She's all right, I guess."
Sirius laughed at his best friend, and Remus shook his head. James changed and collapsed in bed.
The group went to dinner, Cat complaining about stomachs.
"But, Cat, we NEED them. What will make your food into--" began Sirius.
"Sirius! We DON'T need to hear that before dinner," scolded Lily.
"Touchy, touchy. Mmmm... that smells good."
Sirius and James practically floated toward the smell of the food in the Great Hall. The others rolled their eyes and quickly followed. Lily sat as far away from James as possible, while still being near her friends, then noticed one was missing.
"Where's Remus?" asked Lily.
"I don't know. He went to Dumbledore's office this afternoon. Didn't he come back?" asked Jenni, beginning to worry.
As if he had been listening, and planning on that, Remus entered, looking more pale and sickly than usual. Sirius and James looked at one another, worried. Remus sat down.
"Remus, are you okay?" asked Lily, concerned.
Jenni practically ran around the table to get to him. He nodded, as Jenni sat next to him.
"Moony, are you sure?" asked James.
Remus shrugged.
"You don't know? Re, what happened?" asked Elektra
He looked sadly up at them.
"My parents--" He broke off, seeing that they understood. "And my baby sister."
Lily moved down the bench and hugged him.
"Hey, Re, you can have Lily's sister. Scare her to death, maybe," said Sirius.
"Maybe vice- versa, Lily's sister, what was it, Petty? Well, she's REALLY ugly, she'd scare Remus to death, she's terrifying," voiced James.
Lily rolled her eyes, and began to eat, as Remus force-fed himself, only because Sirius and James were threatening to tell Snape and Malfoy his secret.
That night, Lily quietly broke away from the Gryffindors, and tip toed across the grounds to Hagrid's Hut. She knocked, and he quietly opened the door.
"'Ello Lily. Nice ter see you again. C'mon in," said the large half giant.
"Thank you Hagrid."
She stepped in, he was making tea. She took in the sights of the hut, as a large puppy trotted happily up to her and jumped onto his hind legs to indicate he wanted to be picked up. Lily smiled and lifted the year old boarhound off the ground into her lap.
"How's school goin' fer yeh, Lily?"
"Same as always. I got a good start, I've finished my homework for this week, and probably next. I've made the house team. I'm a beater."
"Tha's jus' great! Good fer you! I'll try to come and see th' matches now."
Lily smiled.
"How're things with you?"
"Good, young Lupin came to see me earlier today. Tol' me what 'ad 'appened. Shame, it is, killing off one of the most prominent Wizarding families, or potential Wizarding families."
He winked at Lily, who pretended not to notice.
"How are your pumpkins coming along?"
"Fine. They gettin' bigger 'n usual. An' I haven' been helpin' 'em... much."
Lily laughed, she looked at her watch. Nine o'clock.
"Oh dear, Linus'll be out to get me if I don't get back. Sorry to run like this Hagrid, but-"
"I understand. Don' want Linus to catch yeh, do we?"
He smiled and winked at Lily, again. She returned the smile and ran out the door to the castle. Half way to the castle, she ran into something... or was it nothing? She looked around to see what she had bumped into, then Sirius seemed to come out of nowhere, but she couldn't tell.
"Lily?" he said, astounded.
"Lily Evans out past lights out?" said another voice, one she hadn't heard in quite a while.
Sirius and Peter were standing above her.
"What are you two doing here?" said Lily.
Sirius grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him.
"C'mon, me and you can go inside..."
Sirius wiggled his eyebrows, and Peter looked as though he was about to hurl. Lily laughed at Sirius.
"No, I've got homework to do."
He kissed her.
"So? You can do it tomorrow."
She laughed again.
"Lemme go, Sirius."
"Padfoot," said Peter, urgently.
Lily and Sirius jumped, forgetting about him. Sirius sighed.
"I'm coming. I'll see you later, my fiery woman."
Lily laughed and walked into the castle, and she quietly sneaked her way back up to McGonagall's classroom, using strange cat- like qualities. About five feet from a tapestry which led to the Transfiguration Hall, was Linus, heading right for her. She looked around, next to the window ledge was a low beam. She jumped onto the ledge, against her better judgment, and then climbed on top of the beam, and waited for Linus to go by. He just stood there for a long while, when the tapestry fluttered, making Linus look around. When he was satisfied, he walked away. Lily sighed in relief, jumped down off the ledge, and behind the tapestry, into the dark, and once again, bumping into something.
"Damn, this just isn't my night," she said.
"Really? Why not?" came the familiar voice.
"Hello Potter."
"Hi. Why isn't it your night?"
"I'm continuously running into things."
"I'm sorry."
He was so close to her, that he could smell her hair, and she could hear him breathing. He leaned close to kiss her.
"I have to go. It's getting late, and we have classes tomorrow," said Lily, quickly, and ran the rest of the way to McGonagall's classroom.
James just stood there for a while, stunned.
"Classes? Tomorrow's Sunday."
He then walked slowly outside. Lily tiptoed into the classroom, where Snape and Elektra were waiting.
"Took you long enough," he grumbled.
"Shut up greasy! She has a good reason she's late, so lay off. You're lucky she came, or I would have killed you," said Elektra quietly, where Lily didn't hear her.
She turned on him.
"You're lucky I came at all. James is the next smartest in the year, would you rather have HIM tutor you?" said Lily, acidly.
"No," Snape mumbled.
"Okay then, which first?"
"Charms," said Elektra.
"All right then, first, do the simple swish and flick."
He looked at her.
"I'm not stupid, I'm just having a spot of trouble."
"All right."
She went through Charms, helping them with whatever they were having trouble. Then she went up to her dorms and went to bed. Over the next few weeks things seemed to be normal, Quidditch practice went on normal, and Lily seemed to be happy, and doing very well in Quidditch. The first match was Ravenclaw versus Hufflepuff, in late November. Ravenclaw won.
"Now, we play Ravenclaw, right?" Jenni asked James.
"No, Hufflepuff, then the winner plays the loser of Ravenclaw and Slytherin, then the winner and the loser of that game play, and the of the second game—"
"James, you're confusing everyone, let me try," said Lily, forming a hypothetical schedule on her parchment. "Okay, Ravenclaw played Hufflepuff, they won. Slytherin now plays Ravenclaw, and we play Hufflepuff. Say we win, and so does Slytherin, we play Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff plays Slytherin. Say the same two teams win, then, we play Slytherin for the Cup."
"Oh! Thanks Lil!" said Jenni.
Lily laughed.
The next game was Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Gabby got the Quaffle first and Gryffindor pretty much kept the Quaffle. Hufflepuff got it close to their goal, but Frank tackled the Hufflepuff Chaser and got it back, the final score was 400- 0. Gryffindor celebrated late into the night.
"We're on our way to victory!" Sirius said, standing on a table.
The Tower shook with cheers from the Gryffindors. For Christmas, Lily stayed at her grandmother's home in London, a large manor, and close to Sirius. The first day of break, Lily wandered London, avoiding her sister at all costs. She shopped at Muggle stores, then became bored and went into the Leaky Cauldron.
"'Allo, Lily!"
"Hey Tom."
"Wha're you doin' 'ere?"
"I'm staying in my grandmother's winter mansion for Christmas."
"'Er Win'er mansion?"
Lily laughed.
"Yes, then she has a spring cottage and a summer manor."
"Oh, I see now. You wan'in' to go into Diagon Alley?"
"Yes, sir."
He smiled and let her out the back. She tapped the bricks and walked into Diagon Alley. She went into Quality Quidditch supplies and saw four heads that she recognized. She walked up behind James, and pushed in his knee, causing him to stumble, then she jumped on Sirius's back.
"Why hello, Lily," said Mr. Potter.
"Hello Mr. Potter, hello Mrs. Potter. Hi James, hey Sirius," she said, standing on her own feet.
"What are you doing here?" asked Mrs. Potter.
"My grandmother has a mansion on the outskirts, and she lives there in the winter."
"Oh, are you having fun?"
"Not really. I'm bored and I'm trying to avoid Petunia."
"I wonder why," said James sarcastically.
Lily laughed.
"Yeah, she's been offering to cook a 'magical feast' meaning me."
"I'll protect you Lily!" said Sirius, brandishing a club as if it were a sword and he were Zorro.
"Thanks, but I think that would only make things worse, unless James were to come over and keep her busy."
Sirius and Lily both looked at James who was horrified.
"No! No! No! She's scary! I'm not entirely sure what you mean by busy, but I don't care!"
Lily and Sirius laughed at him, and Mr. and Mrs. Potter had to turn away.
"That isn't nice, James," Mrs. Potter.
"Have you met Petunia?" asked Lily.
"I have and she seems... misinformed."
"Brainwashed or Satan, but misinformed is too nice."
Sirius laughed.
"She's mean, too."
"You're telling me!" said Lily.
James looked at her strangely. Mr. and Mrs. Potter looked from one to the other.
"What's she going to do? Push you down the stairs?" asked James.
Sirius whipped around to look at him, shooting him a 'shut up or I'll kill you' look. Lily froze for a second, but acted like she didn't know what James was talking about.
"I fall down the stairs enough on my own, thanks though, James."
Mr. and Mrs. Potter looked at one another, shrugged and let the three talk.
"James, I don't see why you insist on the theory that Lily was lying to us then," said Sirius.
"Would you all like to have dinner with us tonight? Petunia's staying the night with a friend of hers, and won't be home, and Grandmother wanted me to find a friend to invite to dinner," said Lily to Mrs. Potter.
"That would be lovely, I'd love to meet your grandmother," said Mrs. Potter.
"Good, could you all come around, about seven thirty?"
"Absolutely."
Lily smiled and Sirius pulled her away to look at Beater's equipment, in the far corner of the store.
"What are you doing?" laughed Lily.
Sirius grinned as he leaned onto an empty wall, and put his hands on her hips, and pulled her to him, kissing her.
"Padfoot?" came James's voice.
They two broke apart. Sirius sighed.
"Yeah?"
James walked up to them, saw them.
"Oh, damn."
Lily smiled a little.
"I have to go anyway. More shopping to do," she said, walking for the door.
"Lily," said Sirius, coming up behind her. She turned around, right in front of the door. "Sorry."
She smiled and kissed him.
"Why?"
She walked out the door, and down the street. That night, The Potters, and Sirius ate with Lily and her grandmother, then they went home. When they got back to school, Sirius sat next to Lily at dinner and pinched her just above her knee, causing her to jump.
"You okay, Lils?" Cat asked her.
Lily nodded and leaned close to Sirius and put her nose to his cheek.
"Will you stop that?" she asked him
He grinned, and did it again.
"Nope."
She laughed.
"C'mon, Sirius, stop."
"I dunno."
She gave him the sad puppy dog face.
"Please?"
"Oh fine."
She grinned.
"Thank you."
"Can we talk after dinner?"
"Yes."
Remus looked at James.
"Tell him," said Remus.
James looked up from his plate.
"Tell who what?"
"You're going out with Gabby and he's going out with Lily, we all know it should be the other way around, and you know it, too."
"I don't want to date her."
Remus rolled his eyes.
"Why is it that now, you only let yourself get caught when you have a chance to get a detention with her?"
James laughed shortly.
"I do not." Remus gave him a look, that screamed 'WHATEVER!', "That's sheer coincidence, Moony."
Remus rolled his eyes.
"Whatever you say, Prongs."
James ignored Remus, trying to pay attention to whatever Gabby was talking about. Something about Majorca, or the Bahamas, who knows? Some island that she wants to go to this summer. He nodded at her occasionally, then taking bites of food between "yep" s and "uh huh" s, creating the image he was listening. Eventually Sirius clapped him on the back, bringing his back to reality.
"C'mon, Prongs! Let us go to bed!" Sirius said loudly.
James laughed.
"Let us go, Padfoot, old man!"
"Old man? AH! How dare you!" said Sirius, as though James had insulted him.
"I hope you're no old man. Old men are wrinkly," said Lily, grinning, and walking by.
"Lily!" scolded Gabby.
"I'm only joking."
"SURE y'are, Evans, SURE y'are," said James.
"Well, I doubt it's Sirius who's wrinkly."
She looked at him pointedly, and Gabby gasped at Lily's bluntness.
"Lily!" she said.
Lily grinned and walked ahead of them. Sirius looked as though his birthday had come early.
"I won the jackpot with her!" he said, running to catch up with her.
James watched as Sirius ran up to Lily, nearly tackled her and kissed her on the neck, making her giggle. James pushed Lily from his mind and continued on. Remus looked at James knowingly, but James ignored him. The snow melted with the gray clouds and spring had finally arrived at Hogwarts. James tossed a Dungbomb at Lily and she hit him, then he threw another one at her right in front of McGonagall. The Transfiguration teacher sighed.
"What a way to start out spring! Detention in the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid."
She walked away, and Lily glared at James.
"What?" he asked.
"You got me ANOTHER detention! I have things to do, y'know!"
"So do I!"
Lily stormed out of the Great Hall, Sirius sighing and standing up.
"What'd you have to that for? I hate when I have to do this," he said leaving the Great Hall to try and convince Lily that James was really a great guy.
Lily was sitting in the courtyard, watching the birds fly by.
"Don't even bother, Sirius. I know he's a great guy," she began sarcastically, "but he's still mean! I don't see how anyone can be that heartless and have people think he's the greatest."
Sirius sat next to her.
"Lil, he's not that bad, he just finds it funny to make you angry. I think it's sexy. Your cheeks turn red and your eyes flash, and your nostrils flare a little, and it's really very hot."
Lily couldn't help but laugh.
"You think any female with all the right holes, and arms and legs is hot."
"That's not true. I think Bertha Jorkins is scary."
"You also think she's a man."
He nodded.
"Yeah, so?"
Lily rolled her eyes.
"Never mind. I have to go get ready for another detention full of Potter."
She stood up and walked away. She met James and Filch along with Snape, and a Hufflepuff girl in front of the Great Oak Doors and Filch led them out to Hagrid's hut and Hagrid took them into the forest. Snape and the Hufflepuff looked immensely nervous, but Lily and James were very calm, Lily holding onto Fang's collar.
"Calm down, boy," she cooed at the boarhound.
He immediately slowed and nuzzled her side, but he was still shaking. Hagrid stopped.
"All righ' well, we're lookin' fer some Nifflers, them werewolves bin eatin' 'em, and they're defenseless against 'em."
James and Lily looked at each other, but the other two looked terrified.
"Hagrid, are we splitting up?" Lily asked him.
The half giant sighed and nodded.
"Tha's why I brought Fang. You two take 'im, and I got these two."
Lily and James nodded and went left and Hagrid, Snape and the Hufflepuff went the other way, both students glaring at Lily and James.
"Well, this is what, the second time we've been in here alone?" James joked.
Lily laughed a little.
"Yeah, I think it's a trend, James."
He laughed.
"You wish."
"Do I?"
He grinned and winked at her. She pretended to become faint and giggly. James laughed.
"See? I even get you going."
Lily rolled her eyes.
"You keep thinking that, James, you keep thinking that."
They both laughed, looked at each other, then stopped, and continued to walk the path. They heard something in front of them, and James jumped in front of Lily and Fang whimpered and backed away.
"Stand back, Lily."
She smiled a little at his chivalry, but walked around him.
"Hello, Ronan," Lily said to the rustling.
A red haired centaur walked through the bushes.
"My, my, my, it has been sometime, Lily Evans," he said. She smiled and shook his hand, James shaking his hand too. "And James Potter. What brings you both to our forest?"
"Detention. We're looking for Nifflers, have you seen them by any chance?"
"Not live ones. They've hidden themselves well." He looked to the sky. "Pluto is out."
James rolled his eyes and Lily elbowed him a little.
"Does that mean anything?"
"Everything means something."
Lily looked up, and James followed suit. Fang nudged Lily's leg and she looked at him, putting her hand on his head.
"Sorry to run like this, Ronan, but we must find those Nifflers. If you see any living ones, let us know, would you?"
"It is not yet dawn, no where near, yet Pluto is out."
"Bye, Ronan."
Lily, James and Fang walked away from the stargazer and down the path.
"What is Fang doing?" James asked.
Lily looked at the boarhound, he was digging at the base of a huge oak tree and she knelt down next to him.
"He must have found something. What is it, boy?"
He looked up at Lily, licked her face, then kept digging, a few minutes later, he pulled up a small, furry, black animal.
"It's a Niffler," said James.
Lily examined it, then stood.
"It's dead. Fang, sniff, see if you can find them."
Lily gently held it and Fang sniffed it then he went to run ahead, but James grabbed his collar and had to use all of his weight to keep Fang from running ahead of them. Lily placed the small animal back into the ground and buried it again. James let go of Fang, and the two ran after him, trying not to lose him.
"How. Long. Must. We. Keep. Going?" James managed between breaths.
"Until. He. Stops."
A few minutes later they came to a clearing where Fang was sniffing around, and there were frightened squeaks all around. Lily looked and saw burrows, and she smiled.
"We find them?"
"We found them. You wanna send up the sparks?"
He grinned, and held his wand up and shot gold sparks up into the air. A few minutes later Hagrid, Snape and the Hufflepuff ran into the clearing, the students red in the face and out of breath.
"I bin through here and ne'er seen 'em," said Hagrid.
"Listen."
No one spoke and they listened and heard whimpering from all around them.
"Them's Niffler's all righ'."
Lily smiled and Fang sat next to her.
"How do we get them out of here?" whined the Hufflepuff.
"We don' they won' leave here withou' a fight, we're just gonna hav ta protect them."
Lily and James looked at one another.
"We can do it," they said in unison, they looked at one another and moved away from the other.
Hagrid nodded.
"Go fer it."
"You all might want to get out of the center," said Lily.
The three moved away and Lily and James stood on opposite ends and put up several charms and wards to protect the small creatures. Once that was done, they were on their way back to the school, when Fang ran off into the forest.
"Fang!" yelled Hagrid.
"We'll get him, you get those two out. We'll be back in a minute, come on, James."
James nodded and the two worked their way through thorns and bushes, many scratching up their faces, but were afraid to use magic on them, just in case it used it back.
"Fang!" called James.
"C'mere, Fang!" Lily yelled.
There was a rustling and a bark from a bush several yards away from them.
"Come on, Fang, let's go."
An animal jumped out of the bush and ran at Lily. Lily was frozen where she stood.
"James!" she shrieked.
"Lily!"
A large stag jumped out in front of her and charged the werewolf, who attacked him instead. The stag's antlers impaled the creature, causing it to run away, whimpering, but not before it had scratched the majestic animal something terrible. The stag stumbled toward the trees, but didn't make it before he fell. Lily ran to him.
"Oh my God, James, are you all right?"
The stag looked up at her, then the white buck seemed to melt away and revealed James's sallow face.
"How—how did you know?"
She put his head in her lap, and pushed his hair out of his eyes.
"Cat told me. She told me when I was thinking about becoming one, too."
"Did you?"
"No. That would be weird if I was a giraffe and I married a man whose Animagus was a bird, what kind of child might we have?"
James laughed.
"Point taken."
He took her hand.
"Thank you, James."
He smiled.
"You've saved my life before."
She smiled back at him.
"We're always saving each other. Honestly! If we didn't have the other we both would have died ages ago."
He laughed a little.
"Too true."
The bushes rustled and James became his stag form and stood between the bushes and Lily. Fang staggered out of the bushes, bleeding badly. James became human again and nearly fell over, but Lily caught him and helped him to a tree, and propped him up, and she bandaged his wounds, then Fang's injuries.
"You think you can walk, with my help?"
James nodded.
"Yea, you think Fang can make it out?"
Lily looked at the pathetic looking dog and smiled at him.
"I think he wants to be carried, but he's going to have to walk."
"No, I'll get him, if you get me."
Lily laughed.
"All right."
Lily helped James to his feet and lifted Fang into James's arms, and Lily put her right arm around James's waist and they slowly walked out of the forest and saw Hagrid waiting for them, he looked as though he'd been crying. When he saw them he ran over to them and took Fang from James, then saw them both.
"Wha' happened? You look as though you two bin in a fight." Hagrid asked, worried.
"Well, I think Fang fought him before I did, but we got him, didn't we Fang?"
Fang let out a victorious bark, causing Lily and James to laugh.
"I'm taking James to the Hospital Wing now, we'll see you in the morning," said Lily.
"Night you two," said Hagrid.
Lily helped James to the Hospital Wing, only to find Madame Pomfrey had gone to London to her sister. Lily sighed.
"Bugger," she muttered.
"I'm fine," said James, standing.
James tried not to scream, but his face scrunched up in pain, and Lily made him sit down again.
"Take off your shirt."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Lily, I'm not in the best physical state."
She rolled her eyes.
"Keep dreaming, James. If that were the case, we certainly wouldn't be in the Hospital Wing, and I wouldn't have asked you, plus, I have a boyfriend. Just do as I say."
He grinned and watched her bustle around the cabinets for potions and cloths, as he took off his robes and then unbuttoned his shirt. Lily returned a minute later, putting cloths dampened with potions on his body.
"Thanks, Lily."
She smiled at him.
"No problem, James. After saving me, you don't think I'd let you lie in pain, did you? It didn't bite you, did it?"
"No, werewolves don't eat animal meat, usually."
"What do they eat?"
"They don't, unless they're a human werewolf, then they eat when they're human."
Lily nodded, and concentrated hard on healing James's wounds. Soon, he was as good as new.
"There ya go! Now, you're in the right physical state," she joked.
He laughed.
"You think anyone's in the Astronomy Tower? We could go up there."
James winked and Lily rolled her eyes and laughed.
"No, we won't."
"All right, Lily. One question, though."
They walked out of the Hospital Wing, James fully dressed again.
"Ask away."
"Where did you learn all about Healing?"
"Madame Pomfrey has been showing me for years how to do things. She says I'm in there enough that I might as well learn something while I'm in there."
He laughed.
"Wow, well, I'm glad she's been teaching you."
"Onomonopia."
"CREAK," said the Fat lady as she opened up.
"Goodnight, James," said Lily walking up the staircase to the Girls' Dorms.
"Night, Lily."
He went to his room and saw Sirius, and Remus both sitting on Sirius's bed, playing chess, waiting up for him.
"Hey Jamesie! What took you so long?" asked Sirius.
"We saw you come out of the forest an hour ago, with you arm around a certain red- head, who is dating a certain idiot in this room," said Remus.
James laughed.
"When we were coming out with Hagrid and the other two, Fang ran away and Lily and I went after him, well, we were attacked and I transformed and wrestled the werewolf to the ground and it scratched me up pretty good, and Lily took me to the Hospital Wing ot find Madame Pomfrey gone, so Lily healed me."
"Werewolf?" said Remus.
"You transformed?" asked Sirius.
"She wasn't looking, but she knew it was me. She knows about our other forms."
"I knew she knew about me, but I didn't know she knew about you three," said Remus.
"Well, she does. Fang was hurt too, but Lily bandaged us up and we got out of the forest, I was hurt pretty good, so she helped me walk."
"So... is she as bad as you've always thought?" Sirius inquired.
Remus smiled at James, knowingly, but James just shrugged.
"She's all right, I guess."
Sirius laughed at his best friend, and Remus shook his head. James changed and collapsed in bed.