Chapter edited and reposted – 14th July 2006

Spelling, and a bit more description.

Disclaimer: Am I JKR? NO! I am not the greatest writer on earth; I am a seventeen-year-old As Level student from Guernsey, and Lady Mearle is not JKR either. Honest!

Reviewers

Ashley: Thank you! Enjoy the chapter!

MoonylovesFlo: Aww thank you! I love new reviewers!

Tai Greywing: You LOVE commas! I'm sorry my grammar does stink. Yay! I'm seventeen (does victory dance) Anywho, enjoy the chapter.

SpiderGirl05: As I promised all my readers, here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

Alexis: Yeah I don't really like the ones where they immediately rush into the relationship either. It spoils the tension between the characters. Anyway, enjoy!

Mkiara: Don't worry we all kick some Slytherin ass in the upcoming chapters (I am of course talking about the duelling tournament) Yay! An excuse to assault future Death Eaters!

A/N: Hey my faithful readers! Today is the 11th May. Meaning that today I turn seventeen! Yay! Happy Birthday to me! To all the Guernsey readers, happy Liberation day (for two days ago). To my schoolmates, we are on study leave in just over a week! To all Dr Who fans, does the next episode look cool or what! Enjoy the next chapter.

Chapter 5

Over the next week, Lily and the rest of her friends struggled through the mountain of NEWT homework that was being piled on them. They confined themselves to the common room trying to get through the workload. Lily couldn't help but notice that Jenny was disappearing even more to study with Remus. She suspected that things were moving in the right direction for her friend.

As for the rest of the Marauders, Sirius continued to fly around Tash. He'd got quite a shock when she'd started teasing him about Lily and James catching him with the Hufflepuff girl in the broom closet. However by Wednesday he was back to his usual self and didn't hesitate to openly try and charm her. After two days of this Tash had got fed up and had attempted to hex him. Both of them had consequently wound up in detention after Sirius had turned Tash's hair to live snakes, and Tash had hexed him so that he spoke in German for the rest of the day.

James was the biggest surprise for Lily. It had been a week and he hadn't hexed any of the Slytherins once. She was astounded at his self restrain, particularly in lessons they shared with Bellatrix and Snape. Of course she would never admit this to Tash and Jenny. And to top it off, he hadn't asked her out once, in all the time they were patrolling together. As the week passed, Lily found herself mentally comparing this years James to the one she had known last year and was shocked and just a little scared to find that she liked this new James.

On Saturday, Lily was woken again by Tash singing at the top of her voice. Jenny had also been woken by the racket that was her friend's taste in music.

"Are you mad Tash?" Jenny shouted. "It's seven in the bloody morning woman! And it's a Saturday!"

She flopped back on her bed and groaned. Lily chuckled to herself. She personally didn't mind being woken up early, despite the fact she had been patrolling again the previous night.

"What the hell are you doing awake at this time in the morning?" Jenny demanded as Tash bounced out of the bathroom in jeans and t-shirt. Crystel barged past her and raced for the bathroom.

"Peeves snuck in and was singing in my ear," Tash said, her bounce failing slightly and a scowl working its way onto her face. "I couldn't go back to sleep so I got up."

Jenny muttered some obscenities about Peeves under her breath and pushed back the covers from her bed.

"Plans for today?" Tash asked magically drying and straightening her hair.

"Apparently I am…" Jenny checked her diary "…falling asleep in front of the common room fire."

"No you're not," Lily said, getting out of bed, and rummaging around for her clothes. "We've still got homework. And we're supposed to research for our duels on Monday. The pairings are going to be posted today. They'll be on the notice board."

"Why don't we take our homework outside?" Tash suggested finishing the last section of her hair. "Get the last of the sun before winter."

"I can fall asleep outside I guess," Jenny smiled.

"You surprise me Jen," Tash said. "I thought you'd be studying with Remus."

"He's gone home," Jenny said. "His mother's unwell."

"Aww bless," Lily said, frowning slightly. Remus always went home every so often to visit his mother. She'd always been curious, but it really was none of her business and besides, Remus never really liked talking about it.

"I know what," Tash said, cheerfully. "I've just had an idea. How about we stay up late again tonight. Like we used to do in the third year."

"I don't know Tash," Lily said. "I'm head girl, I'm supposed to be setting a good example…"

"Relax Lils," Tash said. "If you're really that worried, we can stay in the common room. But I just thought it would be nice to stay up and talk again like we used to."

"Okay, but if I fall asleep don't steal my chocolate!" Jenny warned as Crystel reappeared from the bathroom, allowing Jenny to charge in next.

The three girls marched downstairs half an hour later, accompanied by Crystel. Upon entering the common room, they noticed that there was a crowd around the notice board. Tash, being tallest squeezed through to have a look. She came back looking rather grim.

"Well as expected," she said. "Most of the Gryffindors are against Slytherins. Lily, you're lucky. You're against Michelle Towner, in Ravenclaw."

Lily sighed in relief. She was glad she wasn't fighting the Slytherins.

"Crystel your against Sandra Hope," Tash said. Crystel's looked horrified.

"She's one of my best friends!" she wailed. "Ramton can't do this!"

"Sadly he can," Lily pointed out. Crystel squeaked, looking close to tears.

"Least you're not against anyone horrible like…Bellatrix," Jenny shrugged, putting a comforting arm around Crystel. "I pity the poor person who gets her."

Tash looked very uncomfortable, all of a sudden.

"Who am I against?" Jenny asked. Tash looked very sorry for her and Lily knew in an instant who she was against.

"Sorry Jen," Tash said. "You're against Bellatrix."

Jenny's face fell and immediately morphed into panic.

"I'm dead!" she squeaked.

"No you're not," Lily comforted her. "You're just as good as Bellatrix, if not better." Jenny gave her a thankful look, but still looked very worried.

"What about you Tash?" Crystel asked. "Slytherin?"

"Yep," Tash scowled. "I'm against Lucretia Dawson. That ugly bitch who once referred to my hair as dry grass."

"Well," Lily said. "We'd better start studying if we're going to win our matches."

"You kidding!" Tash asked. "I want breakfast first!"

Sighing, Lily let herself be dragged down by her extremely hungry friend.

OOO

"So, moment of truth," Sirius said. They had come down from their common room just as the girls had left for breakfast. "Who wants to look first?"

Both him and James cried 'not it!' Peter who looked slightly taken aback by their speed.

"Excellent!" James smiled and ushered Peter over to the board. He disappeared in the crush of people trying to read.

"D'you think he needs rescuing from that?" asked James.

"Nah he'll be fine," said Sirius dismissivly. Peter reappeared a minute later. He wasn't looking happy.

"Bad news?" asked James.

"I'm against Snape!" Peter squeaked.

"Eh you'll be fine," Sirius said. "He's a push over!"

"What about Moony?" asked James.

"Evan Rosier," Peter recited. Sirius pulled a face.

"He'll be fine," James shrugged. "Remus is amazing at defence."

"Et moi!" Sirius asked in French. Peter frowned.

"He said 'and me' Peter," James helped.

"Karen Jones," Peter told him.

"Ah aren't I the lucky one!" Sirius asked. "I'm duelling one of my ex's."

"Was that the one who hit you and called you a pig?" asked James, raising an eyebrow.

"No that was…" Sirius trailed off. "Eh I forget. You lose track after a week."

"Prongs. You're against Laura Forrest," Peter continued.

"Ah another of my delightful ex's," Sirius remembered.

"Padfoot," James said. "You've dated nearly every girl in our year. Well all except Marquand. And she's really not interested."

"She is," Sirius assured them. "You'll see! By the end of the year, Tash and I will be dating and I'll be saying, I told you so!"

OOO

"I've missed doing this," Jenny said. It was midnight and the common room was deserted. All three girls were sitting by the fire, in pyjamas, throwing chocolates to each other.

"Well it's not exactly sneaking out," Tash said. "But we've still got the sugar!" She threw another chocolate frog at Lily.

"So anyway," Jenny said turning to face Lily. "What's going on with you and Potter? You haven't shouted at him all week. Aren't you getting withdrawal symptoms yet?"

"Why should I?" Lily asked uncomfortably. She could tell she was going to have to admit the truth, however humiliating it sounded coming from her, when she had spent the better part of the last six years telling James that he was an immature bullying git.

"Cause," Tash said. "You haven't said a word against him since the first day back. You used to shout at him several times a day. What's changed?"

"Well…" Lily started. "I think you might have been right." Tash and Jenny frowned for a minute, before realising what she was getting at.

"Maybe," Lily continued. "I said maybe, he might just possibly…"

"Yes?" Jenny prompted a smile inching its way onto her face.

"Have grown up a bit," Lily said. Tash gave a cheer and threw the rest of her frogs into the air. Jenny laughed.

"I never thought I would see that!" Jenny said. "Lily Marie Evans, forced to admit that James Potter might have actually grown up! Tash did you get that on camera?"

"No," Tash chuckled. "My camera's upstairs."

"Damn!" Jenny cursed. "I wanted to stick that in my diary so I wouldn't forget!"

Lily picked up her bag of chocolate frogs and threw them at Jenny. She ducked and they went sailing out of the window.

"Damn it!" Jenny shouted again.

"Shh!" Tash hissed. "Someone's going to hear us!"

"That's a waste of good chocolate guys!" Jenny said, hurrying to the window. The other two followed her. Peering out they could just see the bag.

"D'you think they're squashed?" Jenny asked worriedly.

"Squashed?" Lily asked incredulously. "We're about three hundred feet up!"

"Yeah Jenny," Tash said. "Let's drop you off the top of the tower, and see whether you're squashed!"

"Shut up Tash," Jenny said. "How are we going to get them?"

Lily answered this in her own fashion by summoning the bag. It flew up from the grass straight into her hand.

"Voila!" she proclaimed.

"Whatever," Jenny sighed. "Come on, let's finish eating."

"Hey guys," Tash said, squinting out of the window. "Are those the Marauders sneaking across the grounds?"

Lily and Jenny shot back to the window. Sure enough, James, Sirius and Peter were walking across the grounds, as though taking a stroll in the park. From the glint in James' hand, they could tell he had his invisibility cloak.

"What the hell are they doing?" Lily hissed. "I can't believe Potter! Just when he starts growing up he has to go for a walk after hours, with the rest of his friends!"

It was more than the fact that they were breaking rules, that was making Lily mad. It was the fact that she had believed that James might possibly have begun to kick his old habits that made Lily feel so mad. She had just been proved horribly wrong just as she had admitted her thoughts to her friends.

"Well they never do anything apart," Tash pointed out. "They're best friends after all."

"Shh!" Jenny hissed. "They'll hear us!"

They watched in silence as the three boys continued across the grounds. Fortunately it was a cloudless night and the moonlight was bathing the grounds in silvery light.

"They're heading for the Whomping Willow!" Jenny gasped.

"What the hell are they doing?" Lily asked again.

The girls watched curiously as the three Marauders reached the giant tree. As if sensing the approaching students, the trees branches began to swing in a threatening manner. Lily heard herself gasp as one of them came dangerously close to where the three Marauders gathered.

What they did next gave the girls the shock of their lives.

All three boys changed into three animals. Where James and Sirius had been standing, there now stood a giant black dog and a pure white stag. Where Peter had been a second ago, there now appeared to be something small but impossible to see from such a distance. After about ten seconds pause the willow's branches suddenly froze and all three animals disappeared at the base of the tree.

"Oh…my…God!" Lily cried, forgetting that they were supposed to be quiet.

"They're…" Tash said in amazement. "They're all…"

"Animagi!" Jenny finished for her.

"They're ILLEGAL animagi!" Lily said, stressing the word illegal. "Do they have any idea how much trouble they would get into if anyone found out!"

"They are the Marauders," Tash said. "I really don't think they'd care!"

All three of them sat down in shock.

"They must have been doing this for years to get transformation that perfect." Jenny stated. "How the hell could three students do that type of magic? It takes ages to become an animagus."

"That's even worse!" Lily said. "They've been getting away with it for ages!"

"Amazing magic," Tash muttered. Lily glared at her friend.

"Illegal of course," Tash amended. "But still amazing. Three seventh years performing transformation is impressive, you have to admit."

Lily grudgingly shrugged her shoulders.

"What now?" Jenny asked.

"Well its none of our business," Tash pointed out. "We're not going to snitch them." She glanced at Lily's face as if hoping for conformation.

Internally Lily was facing a horrible conflict. One part of her mind (no doubt the sensible part) was urging her to get up, find a teacher and report the boys for breaking not only the school rules but also the law. The other half of her though was begging her not to get them into trouble.

As she started to wonder why she cared whether or not they got into trouble, Jenny squeaked.

"They're coming back."

They all clustered round the window. Wormtail streaked out from under the Whomping willow. They could just make out his rat form on the grass.

"Of course!" Tash said. "Their nicknames! We should have guessed."

"Here comes James," Jenny said. The great white stag stepped out from under the tree.

"You got to admit," Tash said, looking at Lily. "He does look gorgeous in stag form."

Lily couldn't help but smile in agreement. James didn't just look beautiful as a stag, he looked powerful and strong.

At this point Sirius leaped out after him as Padfoot, looking completely energetic. Tash snorted.

"Even without the nicknames you can tell which one is Sirius," she scoffed. "Leaping around like a hyperactive…"

She trailed off and all of them stared at the Whomping willow in horror.

Emerging from the base of the tree was the biggest wolf any of them had ever seen. It was twice the height of a normal person with thin skeletal like limbs. Padfoot nudged it to one side, and all four animals set off across the grounds.

"Jesus Christ!" Tash swore loudly. Lily clamped one shaky hand over her friends mouth.

"That's the biggest wolf I've ever seen!" Jenny said. "Actually it's the only wolf I've ever seen."

"That wasn't a wolf Jenny," Lily said. "It was far too big to be a real wolf."

"So what the hell was it then?" Jenny asked.

"Umm guys," Tash said, in a quiet voice having removed Lily's hand. "I don't want to freak you out but…"

She pointed towards the inky black sky. Hanging suspended in the air, was the full moon, the bright light bathing the grounds.

"They're walking around with a WEREWOLF!" Lily freaked. "Do they have any idea how dangerous that is! They must be mad!"

"And when you've calmed down," Tash said. "You will realise the added problem that there is a werewolf running around the grounds, possibly as a danger to other students!"

"Who the hell could it be?" Lily asked.

"What do you mean?" Tash asked.

"Oh use your head Tash," Lily said. "That werewolf is obviously a student or teacher at this school. Apart from the full moon they're just as normal as any other person."

"So who is it?" Tash asked.

"I don't know!" Lily said. "That's why I asked!"

"No," Jenny whispered suddenly. She had gone very pale and seemed to be having trouble drawing breath.

"It can't be…"

"What?" Tash asked.

"I think…" Jenny was having trouble stringing words together. "I think I know…"

"Who do you think it is?" Lily asked, guessing what she was trying to say.

"You don't think it's Remus do you?" Jenny asked, almost fearful of the answer.

"Why would you think that?" Tash asked. Lily however had picked up on Jenny's reasoning.

"You said it yourself," Jenny said. "The Marauders never do anything without each other. They're best friends. They must have been sneaking around with him every full moon. Werewolves aren't dangerous to animals, only humans."

"And all those times when Remus has had to go home…" Lily trailed off.

"Almost once every month," Jenny said. "Every full moon."

"Their nicknames," Tash said running her fingers distractedly through her hair. "You were right."

They were silent for a minute shocked by the revelations they had been put through in the last ten minutes.

"Jesus Christ," Tash finally repeated.

"What are we going to do?" Jenny asked.

"Nothing," Tash said. "It's none of our business."

"NOTHING!" Lily exploded. "Tash, they are breaking several laws by being animagus not to mention the danger they're putting themselves in by walking around with a werewolf! We are not just going to sit here and do nothing!"

"Lily they must have reasons for not telling anyone," Tash argued. "Telling Dumbledore will mean a lot of awkward questions for those four and frankly, what have they done to us?"

"They're breaking the law!" Lily raged.

"Stop it!" Jenny shouted. She was pale and shaking but her voice came out strong. "Look. Maybe we should find out more before we make a choice. I don't know about you guys but I personally want some answers."

Lily sighed. Jenny's rational suggestion made her feel better. Tash opened and closed her mouth several times before giving up and flopping into a chair.

"We don't know when they'll be back though," she pointed out. "What if we fall asleep or something?"

"Well aren't you lucky your best friend wants to be a healer," Jenny muttered before hurrying up the stairs to the girl's dormitory.

"Where are you going?" Lily asked.

"To get my cauldron," Jenny said. "We're going to make stay awake potion."

OOO

It was nearly five in the morning when the three boys finally started to make their way back to the common room. They had spent the evening touring the grounds by the lake, until Peter had nearly been pulled into the middle of the lake by the giant squid. Sirius had been forced to jump in the lake to get him back.

"Honestly Wormtail, I thought you could swim!" said a very cold and wet Sirius, as they walked up the stairs to the seventh floor.

"I can!" Peter protested. "He grabbed me in his tentacle!"

"Will you two hush!" James said. "We're going to be spotted. Stardust Mirage." He said to the fat lady, who looked around for the source of the voice.

"Who is it?"

James yanked the cloak off his head so she could see. The fat lady tutted and let them in, as James covered his head up again.

As they stepped through the portrait hole they were met with a very unexpected sight. Sitting on the nearest sofa watching the portrait, were Lily and Jenny. The three boys had a panic attack, before realising that the girls couldn't see them under the cloak. Not for long however. James felt a hand yank the cloak off them from behind. Standing behind the, now closed portrait was Tash, wand in one hand and James's invisibility cloak in the other. All three girls looked tired.

"You have a lot of explaining to do," Lily said standing up with Jenny.

"We get a welcome committee!" Sirius said, trying to sound cheerful. "What can we do for you ladies?"

"Flipendo!" Tash shouted. Sirius shot back on to the sofa.

"Carpe Retractum!" Lily and Jenny shouted together. Two thin gold beams of light shot out of their wands pulling the other two towards them. James and Peter flew into the same sofa.

"Well for a start," Tash said, "you can stop with the smart assed remarks!" She conjured ropes binding them to the sofa.

"Now you're not moving," Jenny told them, "until we get some answers."

"Okay," Sirius looked thrilled just to be in Tash's company. She smacked him on the arm.

"Ow!" Sirius complained. "I am the subject of so much abuse!"

"Right," said Lily deciding to get right to the point. "Maybe you could explain why you were walking around the grounds all night?"

"Well," James began, already thinking up a plausable excuse, but Lily ploughed on.

"Oh and while I'm thinking about it…" she said, taking a deep breath and letting each word sound deadly to the ears. "Maybe you could explain why you're all illegal animagi too!"

"Animagi!" James asked. "Have you guys been eating sugar?" But Sirius and Peter had both gone very pale and inside James was panicking.

"Oh give it a rest Potter!" Lily snapped. "We saw you out of the window!"

"You were spying on us?" Peter squeaked.

"Looking out of the window and seeing you walk across the grounds is hardly spying Peter!" Tash shouted, her wand letting off a few sparks in anger. All three boys flinched.

"Anyway," Lily said. "If you want proof, we now know that you (she pointed at Peter) turn into a rat, you (Sirius) turn into a black dog and you (she pointed at James who was looking more horrified by the minute) are a stag. SO DON'T TRY AND TELL US WE'RE LYING!"

"Lily!" James said. "Someone's going to hear you!"

"Why in the name of Merlin would you risk Azkaban to turn into animals!" Tash continued. "Are you completely stupid?"

"We're doing it for Remus," Peter said, obviously desperate to shut her up.

"Wormtail!" Sirius shouted.

"Oh for gods sake Sirius we know," Tash snapped. "We saw Remus too."

"You saw him?" James asked.

"Well it's not exactly hard to miss him," Tash pointed out. "I mean there's a honking great werewolf on the grounds for Gods sake!"

"You can't tell anyone," James said automatically.

"Give us one good reason," Lily said.

"Lily let them explain," Jenny said soothingly.

"Okay," James said. "Yes we are all Animagus…"

"Well that was obvious!" Lily said. Tash and Jenny told her to be quiet.

"We go with Remus when he transforms," Sirius picked up the story. "It's just to keep him company. He'd go mad if he was left alone every full moon. A werewolf's only a danger to people. If we keep him company as animals it makes his transformations more bearable."

"And how long have you been doing this?" Lily asked, her voice at a normal rate. Next to her, Jenny was looking horrified at the idea of Remus going through transformation on his own.

"Since our fifth year," James said.

"You could turn into animals during your fifth year?" Tash asked. All three boys nodded. Tash gave an impressed whistle.

"See Lily," she said. "Told you it was impressive!"

"And you're doing it all to keep Remus company?" Jenny asked. Another nod from James replied.

There was a moment's silence.

"That was really nice of you," Lily said. Her mind was laughing to herself. Somehow nice didn't seem a strong enough word for what the Marauders were doing for Remus.

"You really are true friends," Tash said.

"I'm going to take my cauldron upstairs," Jenny said. Lily sensed she needed to be alone.

"Cauldron?" James asked.

"Jenny brewed a potion for us to stay awake so we could wait for you," Tash explained.

"Oh so that's why you're all wearing pyjamas," said Sirius openly checking Tash out.

"We assure you we didn't dress up just for you!" Tash said. She threw chocolate frogs at him before disappearing up to the dormitory. Lily sighed and looked at Sirius.

"I thought we told you to be sensitive!" she hissed at him.

"I didn't say anything!" Sirius said. "Just admiring her…assets."

"Stop leering at her all the time!" Lily said. James grinned. He loved listening to Lily and listening to her lecture at someone else would be a nice change.

"Just tell me Black," Lily marched up to him. "Do you really like her or is it just that she's the only girl left in the school?"

"Course I like her," Sirius blurted. "It's just that she can't see it!"

Everyone blinked and stared at Sirius.

"I don't believe it!" James laughed. "You like her! Merlin! He's finally maturing about relationships!"

"I cannot believe I just admitted that whilst tied to a sofa!" Sirius said.

"Right that's all I wanted!" said Lily, walking up the stairs after her friends.

"Lily! Are you just going to leave us tied to the sofa?" James whined.

"Yes James that's exactly what I'm going to do," Lily shouted, before going to her dormitory and trying to get another few hours sleep.

A/N: Just like to say, I love my reviewers. I also love Lady Mearle, my editor, and my brother Deimos212, my sympathetic listener. I would also love a review, that would be a great birthday present!

Next Chapter: Confessions, duelling round one, transfiguration, and the Slytherin prank.

May Stardust fall in your dreams!