The moon was full and bright as Lily stared up at it, wandering aimlessly through the grounds. She had been careful to walk in the opposite direction from where Remus and Professor Dumbledore had been headed, it would not have done to bump into them. But she did wonder what was going on. What would make Dumbledore escort-was it escort? She thought that was what had been going on. Maybe he was taking Remus to Hogesmeade, they'd been going in the right general direction. She shrugged, it wasn't important.
Smoke was gently rising in the air from Hagrid's cabin and the windows were lit. The ground was damp with dew and the hem of her skirt that brushed the tips of the long blades soon became wet as she walked towards the Forbidden Forest. Noiselessly she slipped past Hagrid's cabin, with a quick glance through the window. Hagrid was sat in a huge chair in front of the fire dozing noisily.
Smiling to herself she continued on and soon found herself in front of the forest. She stared up at the thick foliage and gnarled branches.
'What's all the fuss about?' She wondered. Dumbledore repeatedly said it was out of bounds, but she couldn't really see that it could be all that bad. Why would it still be here in the ground of a school if there was anything that evil in it? And they sent people in there for detention. She figured that it was just slightly creepy that was all and if she kept to the path then she wouldn't even get lost. She was sure that she could easily find her way back.
And so with a careless naivety she set off into the forest, her feet crunching on the vegetation underfoot. The full moon above was soon eclipsed by the dark trees that leaned in all around her. As the atmosphere became more and more oppressive she glanced uneasily from one side to the other and started to think about turning back. Her ears couldn't pick up a single sound around her, the only noise came from her feet and her own regular breathing. She stopped and had the bizarre sensation that she should breathe quieter, as if she were making a huge racket which, of course, she wasn't.
Suddenly up ahead she heard a scream- not a human scream, more like an animal and yet not so- She hesitated, it wasn't that she didn't want to help an animal if it was in danger it was just that she wasn't sure what that animal was. It could be anything. Again that inhuman scream rent the air, pleading with her to help it.
Throwing caution to the wind she began to run towards the sound. Before long she had left the worn path far behind her. But she didn't notice, her feet thumped rhythmically on the ground beneath as her hair streamed out like a banner behind her. Dashing in between trees, ducking overhanging branches and leaping over fallen tree trunks she came to a breathless stop in a clearing.
There in the centre stood a unicorn. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Its long white mane floated around its arched neck, its body long and sleek was the same gleaming white as the moon above. But around its neck was a coarse rope.
Lily gasped, a hooded man walked out from behind the unicorn and tugged on the cord round its neck. The unicorn reared up defiantly and lashed out with its legs, screaming that same sound that had brought her running. A flash of light blinded her momentarily and she blinked. When she looked back he held a long thin blade in his hands, dripping with silver blood. A deep cut ran across the otherwise flawless neck of the beautiful creature as it tried to back away. He held a small crystal phial to its neck, collecting the blood as it trickled down.
"Hey!" she shouted instinctively, running out from behind the trees and towards him, "get away from him!" She didn't know how she knew the unicorn was a male, she just did.
The man glanced up and Lily had a brief glimpse of a white mask with thin slits for eyes and mouth. She fumbled in her pocket for her wand and almost froze in horror. It wasn't there. It must have fallen out her pocket in the common room, and she hadn't bothered to check to see she had it with her.
It was then she realised the stupidity of her actions. What on earth had she thought she was doing? Her mind raced wildly, what should she do? She was in serious trouble!
Eyes glared malevolently at her through the slits in the mask. It seemed he was thinking too. His wand twitched in his hand and he gripped it convulsively as he struggled to keep it still. He could kill her before she knew what was happening. But, then again, she was in all likelihood just another student on detention for some frivolous crime she'd committed. And that meant that there would undoubtedly be someone supervising nearby. If he killed her then it would alert that muggle loving fool Albus Dumbledore. Voldemort would not be pleased if that happened. Cursing colourfully he stoppered the phial, turned and fled into the trees.
Lily stared, what on earth? - The unicorn fell to its knees. She rushed over to it and put her hands over the bleeding wound on its neck, trying to stem the flow. If only she had her wand she could heal him, she'd done her work experience in St Mungo's during the holidays. Tears rolled down her cheeks as the silver blood flowed through her fingers pooling on the ground. She'd give anything, anything to help him.
There was a rustling noise behind her and she turned and looked through tear-filled eyes at the three unicorns that had emerged behind her. They looked sad, she thought, and old. But they would not hurt her. She turned back to the unicorn in front of her and pulled off her cloak, shivering as the cold night air hit the bare skin on her back. She was wearing a halter-neck top that exposed her back; completely inappropriate for the time of year, but something had possessed her to put it on that morning. Her bloodied hands shook as she started to rip her cloak up to make bandages.
"Oh please don't die!" she whispered, "I'll do anything…"
Suddenly there was a piercing pain in her back as the tallest and oldest unicorn behind her gouged into her back with its long, pointed horn. Lily screamed out in pain.
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Moving its head deliberately the unicorn carved the sign into her back. Lily blinked tears from her eyes and bent over, her hands grasping handfuls of grass, gasping for breath. She knew she'd defiantly been told in Care of Magical Creatures that unicorns never attacked women- but he had just-
The unicorn in front of her got shakily to its feet and leaned its graceful head over her back. A slow trickle of his blood dripped onto her back. She felt a soothing sensation as it ran into the groves that the eldest unicorn had left. And then she heard him,
"Your wish is granted," the voice said in her head, it was sonorous, deeply serious and resounded through her very being.
She looked up bewildered, "What?-"
The unicorn fell back to the ground heavily, "please, help me," said a new voice, younger sounding. Surely not the unicorn?!
Tentatively Lily placed her already bloodied hands over the wound. For a moment she was unsure of what she should do, but then she thought she'd try as if she had a wand. Repeating the same words and seeing the wand motion in her mind, Lily focused on the gash in front of her.
Before her eyes' the flesh came together. She wiped the smooth coat clean with a clean strip of her cloak.
He looked up at her gratefully his eyes were as black as a starless sky, "thank you," she heard him say.
"But you- I heard- but you can't- I can't-"
She heard gentle laughter in her mind, it sounded female. The one who had cut her had moved round to face her, "you can hear us because our blood now runs in your veins. This night, on the anniversary of the thousandth year since She left, you have returned to claim your birthright. You have accepted the destiny that was set for you long ago. The chosen one has returned." He bowed his head to her.
"I'm sorry, I don't understand," she said.
"You will in time," came the reply, "in saving young Arimis' life you have begun your walk with the Moonlit Ones."
Lily frowned, was she dreaming?
"No you aren't dreaming," another voice said. This one was female and sounded faintly amused. Lily was fairly sure this was the one who had laughed before. "Now come, you can't very well return with your hands covered in blood. And the night is not yet over."
Lily rose, "who are you?"
"I am Io, the one who addressed you first is Ajax, the one you healed is Arimis and the other is Callisto."
'That wasn't exactly what I meant,' thought Lily sardonically.
"Come," Io said again.
Lily walked over and twisted her hands in her mane. Instantly she was sat on the smooth white back. But she didn't question it. So many weird things had happened tonight that she was beginning to think it wouldn't surprise her to see Ajax turn into a pink chicken.
Silently they processed though the trees. And it did feel like a procession. As Lily rode Io along a thin path scattered with white sand, unicorns began to appear up and down either side of her, bowing their graceful heads in silent acknowledgement. It made her feel uncomfortable if truth be told. Didn't they know she was just an average, ordinary girl? Did she have to get it tattooed across her forehead?
"There's nothing ordinary about you," said a female voice that rang in her ears, it was Callisto, "One day you will realise this and drop the curtain around you."
"You see that?"
"It is a mere shadow to us," Callisto replied, "your magic is not powerful enough to affect us."
"But one day it might be," said Arimis excitedly.
"One day it might," affirmed Callisto, placing emphasis on the last word.
They had come to a halt in front of a lake. The surface was undisturbed and perfectly still. The surroundings had a sacred feeling to her. Above the moon hung bright and full in the sky, its face reflected on the surface of the water. The tall trees around were tipped with the same silvery glow. She slid to the ground.
"Go on," careful to avoid spearing her Io nudged her forwards.
Lily walked slowly into the water. Glancing back doubtfully she saw the three nod in unison. Arimis had dropped back to fall in line with the unicorns that circled the lake. 'What was going on?' She thought as she walked deeper into the water. The water swirled her skirt around her legs, its touch cool against her skin, but it wasn't as cold as she had thought considering the time of year.
Further and further she walked, water churning in her wake. Her eyes fixed on the round reflection of the moon in front of her she stepped into it.
All of a sudden there was a blinding flash of light and Lily was engulfed in the water. The water rose up around her like a ball and encircled her, spinning her round and round, the water beating against her skin was filled with the reflected glow of the moon. Her arms spread out on either side, her long hair swirling around her eyes her heart beating faster than it had ever done. She threw her head back and fixed her eyes on the moon shining so brightly above that she thought it was the sun.
White light shone out again as the unicorns all took a step into the lake, sending up a white circle of light around her that hovered above the water around her like a halo. It held still, shimmering as brightly as a flame. They stooped their beautiful heads and used their horns to nick a small cut in each of their legs letting a single drop of blood drip into the water. The barrier flared silver then white, then silver three times before rushing in towards Lily like a wave in a storm. It hit her and she felt her body vibrate with an unearthly power. It burned like cold flames, licking her all over and clutching at her heart. It squeezed her heart tightly and unable to stop herself she gasped swallowing a mouthful of water.
Just as she started to cough she looked up and the water was still. She stood in the centre, the water reaching up to mid-thigh, in front of her stood Ajax, Callisto and Io, just as if the others had never been there. The air around her was peaceful and the light from the moon was muted.
Looking down, she saw her normal clothes were gone. In their place was a long silver-white tunic, a silk threaded belt of green and red sat snugly around her hips, her long legs were bare. Her face reflected back at her from the water. Her hair soaking wet, curled in wavy tresses about her face and her eyes opened wide in surprise. Her eyes- they were the purest emerald green. Brighter than the new leaves of a young tree on the most sunlit summer's day. Brighter than the purest emerald stone. Brighter and purer than all of these and glowing with life.
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A/N: Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! They really make my day^__^
I guess 29 is close enough, and this had better be a long enough chapter, I merged two. Although before I had a really nasty cliffy, but I thought I'd save some of them for later ;)
Well what did you think of that then people? Good? Bad? Indifferent? Let me know with a ….review! ^__^