A/N This is going to be just as long as my first chapter, I expect, so I'm sorry to you people who don't like reading long chapters. Split it up into smaller parts if it makes you happy. I also apologise profusely for my attempt at Hagrid's accent. If it's too painful, tell me in a review and I'll change it to normal English… nobody complained when I put the chapter up the first time, though, so his accent remains. And thanks rollingstones... I'll probably keep updating almost daily. I hope you continue to like it!
Disclaimer: Most of it's not mine, and if it's yours I apologise for stealing it... unless you're J K Rowling, the theft was completely unintentional. If you are her... um, I apologise? The Mooncalves are Rowling's too.
Chapter Four
Lily met James standing outside Filch's office at ten to nine. They didn't want to earn another detention for being late, and Filch had been known to set his watch earlier for just that opportunity.
"So, did your friends interrogate you?" Lily asked.
"Ask a silly question! Did they ever stop?" James said exasperatedly.
"They're going to read so much into this. And not just our friends. Gossip will have us in bed with each other within a week!"
"Well, that just shows how ridiculous gossip is," James pointed out.
"I know, but it's still believed."
"Who cares? We'll know what's true. Hey, Filch is coming."
"Cross your fingers that we're not cleaning out the dungeons like last time," Lily said fervently. James didn't reply, because Filch was arriving. He seemed to be in a worse mood that usual.
"Not at all what a detention should be like… almost considered fun… harrumph… professors… no sense of discipline…" he mumbled as he approached. When he got near, he glowered even more. "Come on you two! I don't have all night!"
Lily and James obediently followed him, wondering what was in store. They were led to a beaming Hagrid, where Filch left them, still grumbling to himself.
"Ah, good! Come on in, sit down!"
"Right, I've got a special job fer ye tonight." He said once they were settled. "The teachers've bin waitin' fer ye t'argue, so's ye can 'elp me with this."
"I suppose ye know tonight's a full moon," he continued. "Yes, well, that's th' reason ye've got detention tonight, instead o' last night. I've got a special job fer the two of ye."
Lily was feeling the beginnings of nerves. What was this all about?
"You both take Care of Magical Creatures, right? Well, there's a creature called a mooncalf. Very shy, an' it won' come out 'cept on full moons. We need to collect its dung. So, I'll answer any questions ye have now. We've got until dawn to get it back here, and I need ye two 'cos ye're the best in the school. All the teachers are busy, what with Remus and all…" A look of horror passed over his face. "But tha's not important!" he said hurriedly. Lily smiled, and James put on a mildly confused look. Lily knew that he knew, and that he knew she knew he knew. Lily decided to take everyone's minds off of Remus.
"What's a mooncalf, Hagrid, and why do we need its dung?" she asked curiously. She did want to know.
"Right," Hagrid said, still looking a little embarrassed. "A mooncalf's a creature fer yer Care of Magical Creatures classes. It's very shy, and comes out only at the full moon. It's got grey skin, huge feet, and big eyes. You can't miss it. It dances in the moonlight- it'll be easy to spot. An' it's dung'll be a blessin' fer th' greenhouses. But it's gotta be collected afore dawn, an' we don' want t' scare or harm the creatures."
"I think I understand," James said.
"I do," Lily told Hagrid.
"Great! Then let's be off. Oh, but first ye'll have to disguise yer smell, and mine too. Mooncalves are very sensitive to scent- if it smells us, it'll run."
Lily performed the smell hiding charm, and the trio set off into the Forbidden Forest. They took over an hour to reach their destination - a wooden cabin on the edge of the clearing. They went in to wait for the mooncalf to appear. Hagrid told them that it wouldn't come for another half an hour, so Lily explored the cabin.
It was quite small. James and Hagrid sat in the only chairs, around a small table. There was a bookshelf in a corner half-full of boring muggle classics. At least, they looked boring. There was also a cupboard in the corner, and a stove and a fireplace. Lily opened the cupboard to find it empty.
"Oh, tha's magical," Hagrid told her. "Ye'll find anything ye want in it, within reason, o' course. No diamonds or gold, or anythin'."
Lily was awed. It must have cost a fortune! She concentrated on wood for a fire, and opened the cupboard again. Sure enough, it was full of dry logs and kindling.
"Hagrid, can I make a fire?" she asked.
"Yeah, won' hurt," Hagrid replied.
"Thanks, Lily," James said. Lily smiled at him and took the wood to the fireplace. She had a good fire going in a matter of seconds. Magic was much easier than using the muggle way to do things. Lily then went to see where the only door led. It went to a small bedroom with one four-poster bed and a wardrobe. She opened it to find a selection of clothes and robes, all her size. Lily supposed it was more magic.
"Hey Lily, I think it's coming out!"
Lily raced back, and sure enough it was. The mooncalf was the strangest creature she had ever seen. It had a smooth, round body, glinting in the moonlight. It had four very thin fragile-looking legs, and four feet as big as Hagrid's. Its neck was also thin and spindly, but its head did look like that of a cow, apart from its eyes. They were big and bulging, and on top of its head. It ought to be ugly, Lily realised objectively, but there was something compelling about it.
Lily watched with baited breath as it came slowly out from its burrow. Another one emerged from the other side of the clearing, and suddenly both were moving fast. In just a few seconds, the two were up against each other, forepaws (forehoofs? Forefeet? Lily wasn't sure) up on the other's shoulders. They pressed together, merging as one for maybe five seconds, and then sprang apart. Alternately on their back legs and on all fours, the two animals danced in intricate patterns all around the clearing, meeting in the centre every few minutes. Even from the cabin, it was obvious that one was male, and one female.
The dance went on and on, each part seemingly new, and each part fascinatingly intricate and elaborate. All too soon, Lily felt Hagrid shake her shoulder. She turned, dazed, and saw Hagrid shaking James out of a similar reverie.
"Ye've bin watchin' fer hours, and they'll stop soon. We've gotta get the sacks fer the dung and talk over what's gonna happen. Ye'll be puttin' on gloves, and put as much dung in yer sack as is possible in half an hour. Then ye can give me yer sacks, and come back here. This dung'll have to be spread on the plants before sunrise, an' ye two'll slow me down a lot. I'll take the sacks back to Hogwarts an' spread it on the plants. I can't walk back in time if I've ye two to look after. I'll need to sleep for a bit, an' eat an' such, and then I'll be back fer ye at about three o'clock t'morrer. That's why 't was ye were chosen- the teachers reckon they can trust you. Anyway, will ye be okay with that? I don' want ye followin' me, or comin' back 'til I come t' fetch ye. S'that alright?"
Lily and James just nodded. It was a lot to take in. Three o'clock in the afternoon was a long time away- now it was only half past two on the morning.
Hagrid led them back to the window. The mooncalves were at the end of their dance. They slowed down, continued to move gracefully, and slowly made their way into their separate burrows. Hagrid handed both Lily and James gloves and sacks. They hurriedly put them on, and then went out to pick up the dung.
It all went as planned. Hagrid left with the full sacks at about three, and Lily and James returned to the cabin. Strangely enough, both were wide-awake. They sat on the chairs, facing each other.
"I'm not at all tired," Lily said.
"No, me either. I wonder why."
"It's the dung. It smelt ever so sweet and fresh. Highly magical, obviously."
"Yes. Sweet dung… that's an oxymoron if there ever was one. But there's no point even trying to sleep now. I'll be awake for hours."
"Yeah, me too," he said, and then laughed. "Who would have thought a week ago that we'd be sitting here, friends, after having collected insomnia-inducing dung from mating mooncalves?"
Lily laughed too. "Strange, isn't it? D'you want to talk a while, then, since there's no point in trying to sleep?"
"Sure. But these chairs are very uncomfortable."
"Let's get some cushions, then, and move to the floor," she suggested. She went to the cupboard and brought out two huge pillows, and two blankets.
"Come on!" she told him, chucking a pillow and a blanket at James. She sat on the cushion and drew the blanket over herself. Much better!
"Wasn't that the strangest detention you've ever done?" she asked.
"Definitely." James wrapped his blanket around himself. "I never even knew there was an animal called a mooncalf, let alone saw its mating ritual or collected its dung."
"It was pretty cool," she agreed. They were both quiet for a while, remembering the dance. Then, impulsively, Lily said, "I'm glad we made up when we did. Wouldn't this be awful; being together and hating each other?"
"I'm glad, too. What our friends will say, I don't know."
"I don't think we could shock them any more. We could announce our engagement and they probably wouldn't even blink."
"Yeah. What do you think will happen with Trinity and Sirius?"
"Oh, Trin'll never end up embarrassing him. She'll come to like him, and they'll break it off quietly and stay friends," she said with conviction.
"Do you think so? I think Sirius really does like her, but he's pretending he doesn't. I noticed yesterday. He seemed to be more… oh, I don't know! But I think he likes her."
"I guess we'll have to wait and see. I've noticed you don't date nearly as many girls as Sirius, but you're just as popular. Why's that?" Lily saw James blush slightly by the light of the rapidly dying fire, but he answered her anyway.
"I don't think it's fair to fool around with them. Besides, I feel hunted! They never leave me alone!"
Lily laughed. "Betraying my fellow females or not, I agree… I think they're in for it for your Quidditch reputation, your money, and your looks more than for your personality, unfortunate as it is. Most of your worshippers are predatory."
James blushed. "I don't have worshippers! You don't accept many dates either, and you certainly have opportunity to do so," he said, changing the subject. Now it was Lily's turn to blush, but the fire was so far gone by now that it wasn't visible in the darkness. She hoped.
"I… don't think dates should be spur of the moment. If I have a relationship with anyone, he has to be someone I like and respect. Besides, I don't have a fan club like you."
"You know something?" James asked, as he shifted onto his back and looked up into the roof, ignoring her last comment, "I've hated you for six years, and liked you for nearly two days, but I still don't know you at all. You're muggle-born, Head Girl, friends with Sirius's girl of the week, and good at charms. That's all I know!"
"And I know the same about you, except for your parentage. I wonder… have you ever heard of the muggle game 'Truth or Dare?'"
"Nope."
"Well, you have to choose one or the other, and either answer a question or do a dare. And if you refuse, you have to do a forfeit that's chosen before the game begins."1
"Okay," he replied cautiously.
"We can just play 'Truth,' and leave out the dare part. It's not so fun without a group of people."
"Okay." He still sounded unsure.
"Do you understand?"
"Kinda. I'll pick it up as I go along."
"Okay then. Something we'll have to do if we refuse to answer a question." Neither of them could come up with anything. Lily shrugged, "Oh well, I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it."
"Huh?" James plainly wasn't familiar with the saying. It was obviously a muggle thing.
"Never mind. I'll start… are your parents wizarding?"
"Yes, Mum was a witch, and Dad a wizard."
"Okay. Your turn." Lily decided not to comment on the past tense. When had his parents died or turned muggle?
"Um… do you have any siblings?"
"One sister. Petunia." Lily's voice was devoid of emotion. "Do you have siblings?"
"None. I'm an only child. Um… oh, I don't know!"
"Think of something. Anything!"
"Uh… pets! Do you have any pets?"
"An owl. Her name's Snowdragon, because she's black." Lily smiled as James snorted. Because it was so dark, her face was shrouded in shadow. All he could make out were her teeth, glinting in the moonlight. "So when is your birthday?"
"September 19th. And yours?"
"November 25th. Do you have a favourite colour?"
"Nope. Do you have a lucky number?"
"Yes, actually. Seven. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?"
"This whole thing is confidential, right? You're not going to tell anyone?"
"No, I won't say anything if you won't."
"Deal! Yes, I do sleep with a stuffed monkey."
"A monkey!" Lily began to giggle.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing." James could just make out a smile on her lips as she said it.
"It'd better not be anything! Do you sleep with a stuffed toy?"
"No, I'm not a monkey person." She was lying on her side now, and James whacked her on her shoulder with a length of his blanket.
"You're asking for it," he told her with mock ferocity.
"Okay! Sorry! How many girls have you dated?"
"All up? Seven. And that includes Lydia Peterson in Year Two… and you?"
"None. I don't date girls. You just wasted a question because of your bad phrasing," Lily informed him.
"That's not fair! You knew what I meant!" Lily just laughed at him.
"You didn't say so, though, did you? My turn… which of the seven did you like kissing most?"
"Hey, now that isn't fair!"
"Want to do the forfeit instead?"
"We don't even have a forfeit!"
"So we need one!"
"What can it be, then?"
"Uh… I dunno. Brainstorm. Say anything that comes into your head, no matter how impractical."
"Okay… face-paint."
"Cartwheels."
"Hopping around the room three times."
"Hey, I know! Here, follow me!" Lily jumped up and led James into the bedroom. She pointed to the wardrobe. "Open it," she instructed. James did so, and the wardrobe was full of a variety of clothes, all in his size. "Hmm." Lily said.
She shut the cupboard door, and then opened it again, concentrating on 'weird clothes' as she did so. Inside there was an assortment of clothes that Lily would certainly term weird, for both males and females. She sorted through them, unearthing, among others, a long grey shawl, a pink top hat, a black and blue striped tank top, and a black tie covered in lime green spirals.
"Perfect!" Lily exclaimed.
"Would you care to explain, yet?" James asked.
"Oh, right, sorry! Just wait a sec…" and Lily ran off back into the main room of the cabin. James shrugged his shoulders, rolled his eyes, and followed her. Girls were strange! When he caught up with Lily, she was muttering to herself.
"Okay, this might not work… it is highly specialised… but I'll give it a try." She opened the cupboard. James was beginning to think that she had gone crazy.
From inside the cupboard, Lily withdrew what looked like a black block of wood. It was plastic. Lily tapped it twice, and writing appeared on it. 'Bow to the nearest person/object.' Lily grinned.
"Yes!" She tapped it twice more, and a loud beep came out from it. "Oh, right. Damn!" She turned and bowed to James, and then tapped it twice again. This time, different words appeared. It said, 'Cross your eyes and sing the alphabet backwards.' Lily laughed, and did so. James told her that she had flipped, but she just laughed again. "Don't worry! Come on, we'll take this stuff into the bedroom, and then I'll explain to you."
"Oh, how kind of you," James muttered, but took armfuls of the cushions and the blankets into the next room anyway. Lily took extra cushions (she claimed that she wanted to be able to spread out on them) and the black plastic thing and followed him into the room. When they had set everything down, Lily started explaining to James.
"Right, here's the idea. If you choose to do the forfeit, this is what will happen. You go to the wardrobe, take out, and put on the first thing that you pick out, with your eyes closed. Then you tap this thing twice, and it'll tell you what you have to do."
"Okay. I get it. Sort of."
"Yeah, well, you have to answer the question, or do the forfeit. What's your decision?"
"I'll do the forfeit," he said with some trepidation.
"Righty-ho! To the wardrobe!" Lily said merrily. James just looked at her. "Blame it on the dung," she advised him, laughing at herself. He just grinned and got up, then walked over to the wardrobe. He closed his eyes and picked out an item of clothing. It turned out to be a feather boa. And, although it was hard to see in the semi-darkness (the moonlight was bright), it appeared to be lemon yellow. James reluctantly wrapped it around his neck, ignoring Lily's stifled snickering. He came over and tapped the black oblong twice. Then he groaned.
"What does it say?" Lily asked.
Grimly, James replied, "Do the chicken walk two times around the room." Lily found it impossible to stifle her laughter at that.
"You should've answered the question!"
"Thanks, Lily," he said wryly. "Now watch; this is the first and last time you're ever going to see this." James stood up and did the forfeit. Lily laughed so hard she cried.
"Happy?" James asked once he was finished, but he was grinning.
"Oh yeah! If only I had a camera! So tell me, can I ask the same question again next time?"
"No!" James told her emphatically as he took off the feather boa, and came back to sit down on his cushion, a scarce foot away from Lily. "My turn!" he said.
"So ask."
"How many guys have you dated?"
"Three," Lily admitted. "Who, at Hogwarts, do you dislike the most?"
"Easy! Malfoy. Okay, turnabout's fair play- who did you enjoy kissing the most?"
"I'm not answering that either!"
"Then go to the wardrobe!"
"Fine!" Lily got up and withdrew a long, maroon, wrap-around skirt from the wardrobe. She put it on over her school robes, and then tapped the block. It said, 'Truthfully answer the next question directed at you in rhyme.'
"Bloody Hell!" Lily exclaimed. "Oops, sorry if you're religious."
"No, I'm not. Who would you trust your life to, if you had to choose someone at Hogwarts?"
Lily glanced at James, thought for a second, and then recited, "The answer I cannot say faster, is of course our dear headmaster." She took one look at his face (similar to her own when he had withdrawn the feather boa) and said, "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm not a poet." She wriggled out of the skirt and threw it across the room. "Hmm… my turn. If you had to give up all of your possessions but one, what would it be?"
"I would have to say my invisibility cloak," James replied, after much thought.
"Cool! I didn't know you had one."
"Well, I do. That's the whole point of this game of questions. And now it's my turn." He paused for a second, considering something. Then he asked softly, "Do you mind me asking about your parents?"
"No. Do you mind me asking about yours?"
"No, I don't. How did your parents die?"
"In a car crash. A drunk driver drove into them. They died instantly." Lily stopped for a moment, remembering. Then, "Are your parents dead?"
"Yes. They were killed by a manticore two years ago." They were both quiet a moment, and then James said, "Let's lighten the atmosphere… what's your favourite school subject?"
"Charms! That was a waste of a question," she said, laughing. "What's your least favourite subject?"
"Divination- it's a complete waste of time. Choose one person at Hogwarts, apart from me, who you want to get to know better."
"Remus. He seems nice, and he's really good friends with Mia – my best friend – but I really don't know anything about him. Um… oh, I have a good one! What piece of information don't you want me to find out?"
"You want me to do another forfeit that badly?" he asked her, "fine!" He ended up putting on a blue sequinned overcoat, tap-dancing, and singing to the first song that came into his mind, which was 'Waltzing Matilda.' It made Lily wish once again that she had brought her camera. He finished, and then hurriedly took off the overcoat.
"I feel stupid," James told her.
"I'm not surprised." Lily said, keeping her face straight with difficulty. "Your tap-dancing skills could do with some improvement."
"Would you like to demonstrate?" he retorted. "But now it's my turn, and you're going to pay for that! Hmm… what's a question that you don't want me to ask?" he meant it rhetorically, but he realised that it was just as good a question as any.
"Forfeit," Lily said promptly. She jumped up and went over to the wardrobe. And then she groaned. "Oh, please tell me this isn't happening!" James jumped up and ran over.
"I'm not that much of a pervert; though you're lucky you're not stuck here with Sirius. You don't have to wear that! Pick something else." Lily had chosen what was probably the skimpiest bikini in skimpy bikini history. She agreed quickly, and put it back. The next thing she picked up was a frilly pink dress.
"Put it on!" James told her, smirking. Lily stuck her tongue out at him and went into the main room to change. It wasn't actually as bad as she had thought it would be. It looked okay, actually, as long as one overlooked the colour, and even that was bearable in the semi-darkness. Better that that bikini! She went back into the bedroom. James was back on his pile of cushions (considerably smaller than Lily's), under his blanket. Lily picked up the black thing and tapped it. The words, 'Kiss the nearest person,' appeared. She froze. James stood up to see what it was, peering over her shoulder, and then started laughing. He stopped very soon, though, when he realised that he was the only person within about three miles.
"That's not so bad," Lily said, and she picked up his hand and kissed it. The black thing beeped. "Uh-oh," she said. Evidently the black oblong hadn't deemed it a proper kiss. Hesitantly she moved closer to James and kissed him on the cheek. There was another beep.
"What is wrong with that machine?" she asked rhetorically, blushing hotly.
"I think it wants a proper kiss," James said ruefully. Because it was dark, Lily couldn't see his face very well, but she guessed he was blushing just as strongly as she was.
"Sorry about this," Lily whispered. She took a deep breath and kissed James on the lips. She felt very strange but she had decided to do this properly, so she would. She didn't want to have to kiss him again… probably. Her arms wrapped up around his neck as she continued to kiss him, and then his slowly came around her waist, holding her firmly, and he was kissing her back. The sensation was strange – she was kissing James Potter. She could see why the girls swooned over him, but all the same… he was James Potter! Finally, Lily withdrew for breath, and James let go of her. They both sat down without saying anything. "Um…" Lily was blushing even more. She could still feel James's lips on her own, and his arms around her.
"The box liked that," James remarked.
"Well, that's something. I guess I'll go and get changed." She went back into the other room, wondering why her heart rate had doubled. Fear and embarrassment, probably, especially since she had just kissed her previous worst enemy. She changed back into her robes, and got some hot chocolate from the cupboard. The night was cold. Lily then returned to James and gave him his cup. He murmured a thanks, and they sipped their drinks in silence.
"Hot chocolate always warms me up," James said as he finished his drink and put his mug down.
"That's why I got it," Lily said. Then, "I'm embarrassed."
"I don't think I've ever seen you embarrassed before. Angry, but not embarrassed."
"I'm glad we made up, I'm glad we're friends now, and I'm glad we did this detention. But I'm also glad it's you I'm sharing this with. If we hadn't come to like each other yesterday, we would have done so tonight."
"Maybe that was the idea. What if this whole thing was set up by the teachers, not only to get the dung, but so we would get along?"
"That's a possibility. I wouldn't put it past Dumbledore… which reminds me- we have to do a plan for the Christmas ball and give it to him in three weeks."
"I'd forgotten about that! Can we start on it after lessons, then, one day next week?"
"That's a good idea. We'll do it. Do you mind if I sleep now? I think the effects of the dung are wearing off." Even as she spoke, Lily felt fatigue wash over her. James didn't answer her, and Lily didn't notice. They had both fallen asleep.
A/N I know that's not the conventional way Truth or Dare is played, but it's the version I always used to play with my friends… although it's been a long time now. I'm not sure whether I stole it from someone else or just added the extra bit in on my own, but that's not just artistic license. Hope you liked this chapter, and please leave a review!