NOTE: Long time no post huh…once again (as always) I apologize. I'll try posting in fanfiction once a week which means once every two weeks in this story…since I have two stories. But anyways….thanks for all my reviewers, I thought people will flame me. On with the story…

Chapter 12: Prongs

"Oy!" Hermione didn't bother to apologize to a couple of 4th years she accidentally hit as she sped pass them. She was going to be late for potions if she didn't run. She took the steps down to the dungeon two at a time. But on the last five steps, she lost her footing and tripped on the long hem of her robes. She gave a loud cry and fell down the stairs. She braced herself for impact when a person stepped in front of her. Fortunately, for her, she fell on top of the person and not on the stone cold floor.

"What in the world are you doing, Hermione?" She realized after a few seconds that she was lying on the back of her own best friend. She gave another cry and got up. She extended her hand to him.

Ron got up and dusted himself. "Are you trying to commit suicide or what?" He put his hand on his back and grimaced, "You almost broke my body in half."

"I'm really sorry, I was in a hurry." Hermione paused and looked around. "I thought you were with Harry. You left me 10 minutes ago."

"He went and get his potions book from the common room," Ron looked at her curiously. "What took you so long anyways?"

Hermione turned slightly pink and looked uncomfortable. She didn't answer.

"Are you reading that red diary again?" he asked.

Hermione shrugged and grinned mischievously, "Yes, I got caught up with it. But I also received a letter from a friend."

Ron's brows knotted slightly, "Which friend?"

Hermione shrugged again, but the pink tinge still stayed on her cheeks, "No one, just Victor."

Ron stopped so abruptly, it seemed like he didn't move at all from his last step.

"What? You are still in contact with him?" Ron demanded.

"Of course, he is after all, a friend," Hermione said casually, slowing down (but not stopping). Ron continued walking, but much faster. He caught up with Hermione but kept on walking. He was muttering angrily about something. Hermione managed to catch a few words: 'vicky' and 'more than friends'

Finally, they reached the dungeons with Harry still no where in sight. Hermione and Ron sat at the last row waiting for Harry to come in as a bell rang loudly in the dungeon. Suddenly, the dungeon door slammed open with a messy haired boy panting between the door's frames.Harry, with the speed of light, placed himself right next to Ron.

"You're just in time mate," Ron muttered as Snape entered the room and silence enveloped the class.

After he had assigned everyone to their own groups to make an antidote to a specific potion, Harry extracted something from his bag.

"You dropped something, Hermione," he said handing her a red book.

Hermione froze in place before taking the diary and stuffing it in her bag in just half a second.

"Where'd you get it," she asked tensely.

"I saw it on the stairs on the way down here. I figured it was yours 'cause I've seen you holding it countless of times," Harry said without much interest.

"Did…Did you, er, managed to look in it?" Hermione's hands were shaking so badly that she nearly added another stir to the potion.

"Even if I want, I won't have time. I was in a hurry, remember?" Harry said.

Hermione was able to relax again but glared at Ron after he wouldn't stop smirking at her for what almost happened.

That night, Hermione crept into her bed as quietly as she could, trying not to wake up her dorm-mates.

As usual, she opened Lily Evan's journal to the page she was in. If you didn't know the contents of the said journal, you would be shocked that Hermione Granger would do this every night. It's a good thing you do know.

February 15,

Dear Diary,

Hectic is not even enough to describe this day. After I got back to the common room last night, Sam was asleep, with my 'valentine's papers' on my table. Unbelievably, Madame Promfey let me out just past 2 am. Sam probably got tired waiting for me so she fell asleep. But it was until the morning that the trouble came. Madam Promfey asked me to come back in the morning to check on my leg. I didn't tell Wilma and Sam what happened but they wouldn't leave me even for one second if I didn't tell them. I told them the whole story during breakfast and they were amazed that such thing could happen. Sam wanted to find the stag and the great black creature that saved me last night. But she eventually gave up trying to convince me to go for another walk that night. Well, at least she forgot about the stack of papers James Potter gave me for Valentine's Day.

My friends could really be something sometimes. Well, anyways, panic in the wizarding world had increase. 5 consecutive loses were headlined in the Prophet this morning. It was not sure if the people were dead or alive…all was known was that they were missing.

It was terrible. Three of the younger students were related to those people. They were picked up by their relatives. The happy air of Valentine came crashing down like rocks after the news spread (and it spread like a virus mind you). The suspected cause of the disaster was the same mysterious Dark Lord. I really hope they could catch whoever that "Lord" is.

Oh, yes, before I forget James Potter was acting so weird. Every time I catch his eyes (which I didn't try to do on purpose mind you) he would either look away or grin and blush. It was annoying but uncomfortable at the same time. One time I bumped into him on the stairs making half the contents of my bag to spill on the floor. He helped me pick my things up and trust them to my hands. But instead of the usual "I'll give them back to you if you go out with me, Evans", he said "You should be careful with your leg like that." His very words made me look down to my recently injured leg. Madam Promfey did a very good job on it so there was not a trace that it was broken. It struck me curious that he knew that it was injured. But maybe it was coincidence, or maybe he was not talking about the injury.

My chance to know the reason for his strange behavior came too soon. We made an agreement last week that we'll be doing the project together tonight (he had been anticipating it and enthusiastic about it since). But instead of being talkative and annoying, he was rather quiet and relaxed. I kept on glancing over him while I was taking notes from my book, "Very, Very Advance Book of Very, Very Advance Transfiguration". More than twice I saw his eyes not moving and just staring on a page.

It went on for the whole night until the common room clock struck midnight. I decided to give up. Time is too precious to waste more on Potter. From that time, I tried asking him questions about the project. All he gave me were nods, shrugs and one word answers. Finally, it was the last straw. I grabbed the book from his hands.

"Potter, can you please try to communicate with me using proper sentences. I could barely understand any of your answers!" Yep, I said that to him.

"I am communicating to you using proper sentences," he replied trying to get the book back from me. I hid it behind my back. Actually, it was the first time that night he said a full sentence to me.

"Please, just try to work with me," I was really going to blow. What was his problem? "I've been trying to be patient with you and you kept throwing it to my face."

"Look Lily, I'm tired, I didn't get enough sleep last night. So please spare me. In fact you should rest too, it looks like you've been stressing too much," he said rubbing his eyes. I was about to retort when I notice dark circles under his eyes. His hazel eyes were full of tiredness and stress from where I saw it. I sighed deeply when I realized he was right.

"Alright, let's continue this some other time," I said, gathering my things.

"Your wonderful, Evans!" he exclaimed stuffing his books into his own bag. "Oh, yeah, how's your leg, Lily? Still injured?"

There were two things I noticed. First, he called me Lily twice. Second, he mentioned my leg again.

"It's much better, thanks," I replied curiously. He stood up and went towards the boy's dorm.

"Well, goodnight," he said. But I couldn't let him get away again without an answer.

"Wait, Potter!" I never thought I'd said that on my own free will. He turned around and gave me an exhausted grin. For some unknown reason (which I don't want to know by the way), my stomach did a flip.

"How'd you know about my leg?" I asked him.

He gave me a shrug and a smile, "Don't tell me you don't know. Well, goodnight again."

Suddenly, something clicked into my mind as he pushed open the door to the boy's staircase.

"James," I called. Yes, I called him James. I was tired and out of my mind. I didn't know what came out of my mouth. No, I'm not lying!

He was rather shocked by it too. His grin became bigger. "Are we in first name terms?" he asked sarcastically. I ignored him.

"What animal do you turn into?" I asked him. Ever since I found out he was an animagus, I was curious about what animal he and his friends turn into…yet now some pieces were fitting together.

He smiled again, "I though you'd figured it out." Then, he left. He left me there with my mouth slightly hanging open. I couldn't believe it. My theory was true. No wonder he was called Prongs. It surprised me that I didn't figure it out before. If all he said was true, and that wild stags don't usually have human-like hazel eyes, then… and James Potter might have saved my life.

Surprised and Dumbfounded,

-Lily

Hermione closed the diary, her eyes drooping slightly. She stuffed the diary under her pillow and laid her head down. The day was eventful, but so was the entry she just read.

Note: Hope you like it. Please review…if I still have readers…hehe…