Chapter Thirty Eight

The Walk

A couple of nights after the ball, Lainie and Lily were sitting up on Lainie's bed, talking. The rest of them room was dark, but the full moon shone in the window, with an eerie light on the two girls.

"I can't believe you did that," Lainie whispered. "Kissing a boy in the library corner, you sexy beast."

"You never did anything like that, then." Lily whispered back.

"No. Never. I was friends with them, never wanted to kiss them."

"Doesn't the lake look nice tonight."

"Yeah, just think, we will only sleep by the lake for another two weeks."

"Wow, and I thought I would be here forever."

"Sometimes it did seem like forever, but then it seems to pass so quickly."

"What will we leave here with, I wonder."

"Lots of useful stuff. When we get set loose on the rest of the world."

"Lainie, I've changed my mind."

"About what."

"My job, I want to go into the ministry, but have a more important job. I was thinking maybe I would try and get a job in that planning thing, you know, the ministry of magical control. The one that helps hide the magic world."

"Cool, Lil. I thought you were too smart to do the charms thing."

"Do you want to go for a walk."

"Like outside?"

"Yeah."

"Like breaking school rules."

"Yeah."

"Okay"

"Should we wake Liv."

"Nah, she's out to it."

The girls pulled on jerseys and shoes and crept down the stairs and padded along the corridors till the reached the courtyard. They walked in silence along the lake, the full moon hanging in the sky above them. Lainie felt strangely spooked but was sure it was just the rule breaking thing that was freaking her out.

Lily sat down on the damp grass and pulled Lainie down beside her. The lake rippled slightly, rippling the reflection of the moon. They sat in silence, Lily leaning on Lainie's shoulder, peaceful and content.

"I love this school so much, it's so safe for me." Lainie whispered.

"Same. I think I'm going to feel so lost without all the teachers and everyone else."

"Have you started on your speech, for the end of the year prize giving, yet. I was supposed to start mine tonight but I got sidetracked."

"No, why are you saying one?"

" Cause I got top student and they needed three seventh years to speak."

"Good on you. You deserve it."

"No I don't. you would have, if you got it."

"But I didn't. Besides, I'm not good enough at potions to get it."

"Shhhhhh…" Lainie whispered.

"What."

"I can hear something."

Lainie and Lily lay down on the grass, flattening themselves onto the grass. They looked over to where the noise was coming from. They could hear rustling from behind a large tree. Lily's heart was pounding in her head, and she could hear Lainie trying to make herself take deep breaths beside her. She felt frozen and suddenly a sudden chill crept over her. The castle seemed so much further away, now than it had before.

The rustling got louder and she could make out a few shapes moving towards them. Her heart was pounding and she knew that Lainie's would be doing the same. They were coming closer and she strained to see what they were. She could make out two shapes, one tall one and one kind of square of. They were coming towards them. She could see clearly now, one was a big scruffy dog and one was a tall graceful stag. What the hell are they doing here, Lainie thought, her breaths short and shallow.

They were now standing a few meters away from them, and some miracle had saved them from being seen. There was also another small animal with them, a rat or something. These three animals stood there for a while and then, something happened, their shape started to change. Lainie gasped and Lily did the same and they hauled themselves to their feet ready to run. They were all started to 'morph' into something, a slightly human shape. Hang on, they were humans. What the hell is going on here, Lily thought, feeling petrified. The humans took shape, very familiar shapes.

Lily's mind reeled, Lainie's couldn't take it in. It couldn't be, no it can't be, Lainie thought, gasping like a fish out of water. This can't be, it must be a dream, Lily thought.

Lily reached over and grabbed Lainie's arm as her knees felt like they were going to collapse.

"James,……. Sirius." Lainie managed to whisper, her throat suddenly like a desert.

They stared at the two girls, standing there in the moon light. There was no doubt in anyone's mind, what they had just seen. Lily looked from James to Sirius to Peter and back to James. He was standing stock still, staring back into her eyes. Lainie couldn't look at what she was seeing. It couldn't be, James, Sirius, Peter, all animagus. She stared into the space behind them, into the stars above. She looked at James, that familiar face, so friendly to her, even now. And then to Sirius, her boyfriend, who seemed to be looking right through her.

"What is going on here?" Lily said, breaking the silence, her voice like sand paper and small in the vast emptiness around the five of them. James remained still.

"Answer us, James." Lainie said with a little more force. "What the hell is this."

James took a deep breath of the cold air around them, "Well, um, Lil, Lain, as you can probably see, we are animagus. All of us." James finished looked down.

"Why," Lily asked, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Because, um, well, a friend of ours…" Sirius started.

"Wait, where's Remus." Lily whispered.

"Well, he's kinda of the reason, we are, um, like this." James admitted.

"What." Lily and Lainie said at the same time.

"What animal is he?" Lainie asked, her voice scarily calm.

"Well,…." Sirius attempted to explain their greatest secret.

"I know what he is." Lily said, grimly.

"You do" James said, his voice shaky. "How"

"I worked it out. It wasn't that hard, now that I think about it."

"What," Lainie asked, confused.

"Remus, I know what he is. He's a … um …. He's a were wolf." Lily said, sighing as she said that last word.

"What," Lainie said, aghast.

"Come on. We'll have to sort things out. Lets go inside." James said, putting his arm round Lily and guiding her inside. Her mind was reeling to much to protest. Remus, a werewolf, did Livvy know? Did others know too?

Lainie allowed herself to be directed into the courtyard and leant into Sirius, as her own method of support seemed to have died on her. A werewolf, how come she'd never noticed. What was this going to do to their friendship? Did Livvy know and keep it a secret from them. And weren't animagus illegal unless it was registered?

They came to a small courtyard in the shadow of the castle. Lainie sat down on a bench and wrapped her arms around herself as she was freezing.

"Do you want my jumper?" Sirius whispered.

"No"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes"

"But you're cold as ice." He protested, reaching out and touching her arm. She just tightened her arms round herself. He shrugged, "Fine. It's here if you need it."

"James, when did you learn to do it?" Lily asked.

"End of fifth year."

"Is it legal?"

"Um, no."

"Have you ever gotten caught?" Lainie asked.

"Nearly, once, when Sirius had just moved into his flat in town, we were in the woods and we nearly ran into a couple of Muggles."

"Hang on. Sirius's flat?" Lainie questioned.

"Yeah," James said, unaware of the fact that Sirius's was glaring at him through the darkness.

"Don't you live with your parents?" She asked him, standing in front of him.

"Not anymore."

"And you didn't feel a need to tell me that, at anytime?" she asked, trying to hide the slight wobble in her voice.

"I'm sorry, Lainie, I just didn't get round to telling you." He said, hoarsely.

"I'll see you later, I'm going to bed." Lainie said, turning and walking into the darkness.

Sirius got up and stopped her, "I'm sorry, I really am. I just didn't think it mattered that

much."

"I can see why you didn't tell me about Remus, but moving out? It's a big thing, were you going to tell me? She whispered fiercely.

Here he faltered, would he have ever told her, I mean it wasn't a topic that came up very often. Lainie turned on her heel and strode silently back to the castle, leaving him there.

Lily and James came up behind him, "Sorry mate." James said.

"That's all right. My fault. She's not that angry, is she" he replied.

"Don't know, she's not my girlfriend." James said, grinning evilly through the darkness.

"Don't be cruel. Sirius, just see what she's like in the morning. Oh, and she loves lilies." Lily added.

"You mean the flowers?" he said, puzzled.

"Yeah." Lily answered.

The four of them turned and headed up to the to the castle, all feeling very drained.

hello all, thank you all for the very kind reviews, i felt so loved. in this chapter it goes a bit pear shaped but oh well.

anyway, i would love it if i could get to 100 reviews sometime soon, so go on. helo my total.