So, here's my first attempt at a Harry Potter fan fic. It's a marauder's fic, and I'm not sure if I'm going to leave it as a one-shot or continue it on. I'll have to think about it. I have an idea, but I'm afraid it's too cliché….so, we'll see. I'd really really LOVE the feedback and if anyone has any questions or suggestions feel free to ask! I hope that I caught all the mistakes on this, and I looked up all the spellings that I found, if I spelled anything wrong please note it! And please please please review!
Thanks and lof to all,
Mione's Phantom
Chapter One?
"Someone remind me what we're doing." Sirius sighed, watching as five cards—emblazoned on the back with the words Mullane's Mug, London and an overflowing beer mug—were placed in front of him on the bed.
"Playing poker." Remus replied, looking down at his own cards.
"But why!" Sirius leaned his head on his hand allowing his shoulder-length hair to fall forward in an overdramatic-gesture of exasperation.
"Because, Prongs wants to." James—who had just finished dealing—replied.
"Prongs also wants to talk about himself in the third person." Remus said, leaning over towards Sirius, as if to pretend that James wasn't meant to hear the comment.
James grabbed the top card off the deck and flicked it at Remus. It hit him squarely on the nose.
"Ow." The other boy scowled and rubbed at where the card had struck him.
"Don't worry, it blends right into the mark where you tripped over your own paws and ran into a tree last night." Sirius laughed; Remus smacked him with a pillow.
"If I remember, you shoved me into that tree." Remus replied "And at least I didn't screw up as bad as Prongs." as James took the pillow from Remus and hit him for the comment.
The marauders were stretched out over James and Sirius's beds, which they'd pushed together since they all didn't fit on just one. James had his foot shoved out to the side, propped on two feather pillows. It was bandaged from ankle to mid-calf. Remus was leaning against the bedpost and Sirius lay on his stomach propped up on one elbow.
"Now, somebody remind me how you play this game." Remus peered blearily at his cards, as if he had suddenly forgotten how to read.
"Look," James folded his fan of cards and placed them down on the bed, leaving his hands free to gesture. Something that Mooney found very condescending. "You get five cards. You keep your best—you want to make pairs, flushes, etc. you throw away the trash, and I give you new cards and—"
Sirius grabbed James's wrist; he had been pathetically miming dealing. "You win as much money as is humanly…or wolfishly possible." He finished.
Lupin laughed dryly, he still looked quizzical about the process of the game, but didn't say anything.
Pulling his wrist away from Sirius's grasp, James picked up his cards. "Deuces are wild, aces are better, and you have to be wearing mismatched socks to open."
"WHAT!" The other boys chorused, both slamming down their cards and giving James equally dirty looks.
"What, in Merlin's name, does that mean?"
"James is just trying to show off again." Sirius said, remembering the account of the previous night. "Sorry, Jamesy, no girls here for you to show off for."
This time, Sirius rolled out of the way when James tried to hit him. "I'm opening." He said and tossed a bronze knut into the center of the red comforter.
"Let me see your socks!" James demanded.
"Shut up, Prongs." Remus grabbed one of his own coins and tossed it in.
James threw in the money, and then retrieved the deck from where he had placed it. "How many cards?"
"Two." Sirius gently laid two of his old cards down with a flourish.
"You'd think Wormtail would be back by now." James muttered, handing Sirius his two new cards.
"I know! It shouldn't take this long to go to the infirmary, rob it, and come back." Remus said, also exchanging two of his cards.
"Better be soon, you two are such skimpy gamblers." James complained. "It'll cost you a sickle more to stay."
"Oi!" Sirius tapped the side of James's head. "I thought you hurt your leg, not your skull. You didn't switch cards!"
"I don't need to, thank you. And my head is fine thank you." He looked languidly at his injury. "My leg is another issue…"
"Stop whining, it was your own fault." Sirius scowled at his cards, and after seeming to have a silent debate with them he tossed in the extra silver coin.
The quidditch player chewed at his lip. It had been his fault…slightly. But James hated to admit that, even in his head. He'd let his heart run wild.
Last night had been the full moon, and, as usual, Remus had made his journey to the Shrieking Shack, and also, as usual, close on his newly forming tail had been his three transfigured friends.
The somewhat shy, book-smart boy was terrifying as a werewolf His soft-blue eyes were an eerie copper in color and his gentle smile had been replaced by an evil, toothy sneer. His shoulders and chest were broad with huge amounts of muscle. His muscular back was covered in mangy, gray-brown hair. Long, sharp, yellow claws curled from his paws. Scruffy was most likely the best word to describe him, a word that would never have dared to be used to describe Remus Lupin.
James's stag form fitted his somewhat ostentatious personality perfectly. James described it as "noble"; Sirius preferred the word "cocky". His normally sturdy shoulders became wider and more powerful, tan skin—from too much time spent at quidditch practice—became graceful silver-white hair.
And if James's animagus form was perfect, then there were no words to describe Peter's. His mousey appearance and personality was an ideal match for the rat form. Glassy eyes and sharp nose only became smaller when he transformed not but miniature copies of his human ones. Ears rounded and his body became covered in the ragged, brown fur.
Sirius's black dog form was the most puzzling. Sirius's sarcastic nature would have more easily lent itself to a fox, and his grace and good looks to a stallion, but somehow, his dog form suited him. No one could quite put their finger on why…Maybe he had a sort of fetish for smelling things? But, whatever the case, Sirius wasn't telling. That was yet another reason James thought he should make the change permanent, he was much more amiable as a dog.
Once the customary battle to assure Remus that they were friends, not prey, had ended the group moved out of the Shrieking Shack and into the night.
The autumn night was cool and clear, the golden, harvest, full moon hung above their heads as a constant reminder to the true nature of one of their companions.
The group wandered the woods; werewolf and dog chased a rabbit until it eluded them down a hole. For a while, the four creatures raced in the moonlight, enjoying the freedom their animal shapes offered. There were no rules here. Remus could forget the constant fear and hatred with which the world treated him. Sirius could leave the disgust he held for his family. Peter could forget his father's drunken and abusive rages. And James? James left behind the pressure to be perfect, as much as he loved the limelight, the drive to be the "golden-boy" was tiring.
Another thing he thought he left behind was his secret love for the girl Lily Evans. James Potter could—for his success on the quidditch pitch—have any girl in the school—except Lily.
She thought him conceited, rude, and cruel, and, therefore, had no interest in him, whatsoever.
But still, James loved her. Perhaps her refusal of him made her even lovelier in his sight and made him more determined to win her. But if there was one thing that James knew, it was that he loved Lily Evans, and he would die for her.
Remus was the one who scented the humans first. Two of them, young, one female and one male. Before his friends had realized what had happened, Remus was gone, in pursuit of the scent.
James and Sirius stared for a moment and then simultaneously understood what had passed. Exchanging a knowing glance they dashed off after Mooney; Peter close on their heels.
Lupin was gone now; the werewolf had taken over; rabid without rational thought. The scent in his nose was so strong and his animal senses filled with the desire for blood.
James was faster than Remus and had intercepted him with in a matter of seconds. But the wolf had scented the humans, and did not want to be stopped. He leapt for the stag's throat, but James lowered his antlers and kept the wolf at bay. Remus tried darting around him into the woods, but James stepped quickly, always keeping himself between the werewolf and the humans.
Sirius raced out of the woods. Snarling, he leapt onto Remus pinning him to the ground. The two dogs were locked together, yipping and growling, as jaws locked against skin.
Seeing that Padfoot had Mooney distracted, for the time, James moved into the woods. They'd done this before when Remus had felt the blood-lust surge in his veins. It wasn't the first time they'd had to combat his werewolf tendencies. A year ago, a man had almost been bitten, after that, they'd developed a strategy for these occasions.
James—being the most handsome and elegant creature—would distract and ultimately lead away or frighten away whoever was in the woods, while Sirius kept Remus under control. Peter would alert James if anything went wrong with Padfoot and Mooney or when Mooney was a safe distance from the spot and had been subdued by the black dog.
James heard two low voices—one female and one male. Bloody hell! Couldn't lovers have enough privacy in empty corridors or unused classrooms? Did they have to come here to have their snogging sessions?
James couldn't make out the exact conversation, not like he really cared to know. Some lovers conversations were so terribly cliché and utterly disgusting that it would surely make him vomit…if deer were capable of that reaction.
Deciding that he'd better act before he found out, James stepped forward towards the border of the clearing, but before he could step in and reveal himself, his steps faltered.
The girl was Lily Evans.
Her red hair was loose and fell in thick waves away from her head across her bare shoulders. She wore a lavender tank top and a pair of loose-fitting pajama bottoms. A gray blanket was wrapped around her shoulders, trailing to the ground, where dried autumn leaves clung to the bottom.
The other, James didn't recognize. He had dark hair and was still dressed in his black school robes. His chest heaved from sobs or perhaps from exertion. Had there been a chase? Had he been running away from Lily? Or pursuing her?
Lily was breathing slightly heavily too. She moved closer to the boy. "It will be alright." She whispered and tried to drape her arm around him. "You couldn't have done anything."
James was jealous to see another boy in her arms, even if it was just a gesture of consolation.
But the boy shoved her arm away. "Leave me alone." He growled.
She must have chased him out here.
To say that James's curiosity was sparked would have been the understatement of the year. He was enraptured. Not only did he want to know who the boy was, but why had Lily followed him here, and who was he that he seemed so ready to deny her comfort.
James hated to admit, even to himself, that he liked just watching Lily. The moonlight puddling on her shoulders….
…the moonlight….
….Mooney…
James lurched forward, his devotion to his friends superseding his lust for the girl. One of his hooves caught on a root, which snapped, sending him falling to his knees.
The black-haired boy looked up, but before James could see who it was, the boy had fled. Lily called after him, "Wait!"
James struggled to rise, but the bulk of his form made it difficult in the confining space. More branches crackled and leaves rustled; Lily stared into the woods. James could tell she was frightened, her shoulders were shaking and her eyes cast furtive glances to either side, obviously making sure that escape routes were still open to her.
Two snarling barks erupted out of the woods behind him, he couldn't tell if they were Sirius's or Remus's, but it didn't matter to Lily, she had taken off towards the castle.
But James didn't want to let go of her that quickly. On his fleet, stag, hooves he pursued her through the woods. He tried to tell himself that he was only chasing her to make sure that she was safely away from Mooney before he returned…but he knew that wasn't true. He just wanted to see her.
She broke through the trees; James a step behind her. Lily froze and turned slowly. She had been breathing haggardly from fear and her flight, but when she saw James, her gasping stopped.
James stepped closer towards her, removing his whole stag form from the woods. The girl didn't move, except to mouth the words, Lord Almighty. James moved very slowly, he didn't want to frighten her away again—but she was afraid of the same eventuality.
Slowly, very, very, slowly, she reached out her hand and touched his white shoulder.
James longed to show her who he really was. Perhaps some nobility of this form, might be shown to her in his human form. And he would have transfigured right then and there, if the black-haired boy had not chosen that very moment to step out from behind a tree. His wand was raised, even though his hand trembled.
Lily didn't notice the boy and James didn't want to move. Lily's hand on his shoulder was so comforting, so real, he didn't want to stir and break the spell.
But the boy had no qualms about disturbing his contentment.
He screamed a spell, his hand trembled as he cast. The pale red beam of light missed James—mostly.
Some of the spell struck his left leg, slicing open a deep gash there.
Blood flowed out of his white haunch, staining the hide there crimson.
The boy raised his wand again.
"Severus! No!" Lily screeched and leapt towards the boy.
James had been ready to turn and retreat into the woods. Whatever reason the boy had to attack him, he didn't want to be around to find out—but that name stopped him.
"Severus!" Lily screamed again.
What had Severus Snape been doing wrapped in Lily Evans's arms? That slimy, dark-obsessed idiot! And what reason could he possibly have to attack an animal in the woods?
But Snape wasn't listening to Lily. He kept his quivering wand raised.
Several things happened at once. Severus moved his lips on another spell; James lowered his head and charged at the boy, intent upon fatally gouging him with his antlers; Lily leapt between boy and animal.
James saw her move and nearly tripped trying to stop himself quickly enough, Severus's spell barely missed Lily, singeing a few of her hairs on its way to burn a large scar in a nearby tree.
Lily slowly opened her emerald eyes, as if surprised to still be living.
"Don't hurt him." She whispered to the deer. She was talking just to be talking, in some belief that her voice—which she kept low and calm, even though she secretly wanted to scream inside—might calm the animal. "He just lost his mother—"
"—I don't need you to defend me, mudblood! And I don't need your pity!" Snape spat.
James started forward again, ready to rip Snape limb from limb.
But Lily continued to stand between the stag and the boy, willing to give her life for a boy who had cursed her assistance and her.
James didn't understand. What kind of love was this?
Lily's eyes looked pleadingly into his. She saw the human intelligence there behind those glassy, brown eyes, and for a moment, as their gaze locked, the creature reminded her of someone, but she couldn't place who.
James turned towards he woods and allowed the leafy-darkness to swallow him up. He knew he'd always love Lily Evans, but he wondered if he could ever understand what love truly was. Not love the way she displayed it. Love that would allow her to save someone who had cursed her.
The door opened and Wormtail slipped in.
"At last," James sighed. "Now we can play with real money!"
"Sorry! Madam Pomfrey kept me forever!" Peter flopped down on the bed, sending the neat pile of cards tumbling into a heap.
"She caught you!" Sirius snapped.
"No, but she really wanted to know what I was doing near her potions cabinets."
"But did you get it?" James asked massaging his leg. "I really don't feel like explaining to her how I ended up with a six inch gash on my thigh." Then, putting on a high falsetto he said, "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I was gallivanting in the woods, in an animagus form, that I secretly learned to do, against ministry and school regulations, making sure that my werewolf friend didn't lose control when—"
"—I saw the love of my life and had to go chasing after her!" Sirius cut in, clapping his hands to his heart in an overly-dramatic gesture. "When, without provocation, her dirty, little friend attacked me."
James gave Sirius a death glare. Sirius raised an eyebrow, trying to look affronted, as if James had been the one to mock him, instead of the other way around.
"Are you sure you didn't see her friend's face?" Remus asked. It was an odd question for the boy who usually discouraged his friends' revenge seeking natures.
James paused. Lily had protected Snape. Could he display that much love? For her sake? She would have given her life for him, could James not, keep his identity a secret? Love?
"No, I didn't. Wormtail, where's that potion!"
"Oh, yeah." He pulled it out of his pocket and tossed it to James.
James snagged it out of the air and began fumbling to undo the bandages on his leg.
Sirius, Peter and Remus had commenced arguing over who could have hexed James. "What about Taria Antona? She's always hanging out with Lily." Remus suggested
"Yeah, but she LOVES animals, she'd never hex a stag." Sirius replied.
"Oh, yeah." Remus replied, somewhat sullenly.
"What about Molly Meadows?" Sirius leaned forward so he could rest his chin in his hand, in an attempt to appear pensive about the matter.
"Couldn't be." Peter responded. "She was in the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey said she'd been there all week, she's got some sort of odd flu."
They continued arguing; poker game forgotten.
"Krista Druer?" Remus asked, flicking his wand towards the bandages James was still struggling with; they fell off immediately.
James gave him a look that clearly said "why-didn't-you-do-that-before?", but it was lost on the back of Remus's head, as he'd already gone back to arguing.
James uncorked the flask.
"What about Severus Snape?" Peter asked.
James's hand froze.
"What would he be doing with Lily Evans? He hates the girl! A sudden change of heart, Snivellus!" Both Sirius and Remus erupted into raucous fits of laughter.
James sighed silently and poured a small amount of the liquid onto the wound. It took a few seconds before the green, sticky, liquid bubbled and the flesh quickly sealed over. But not quickly enough, the other three had already gone back to arguing.
"It doesn't matter. Who ever it was we're not going to figure it out, unless they decide to try it again in the hall. Now, are we theorizing or are we gambling?"
After a few more muttered suggestions, the topic was dropped and the poker game resumed. But James's mind was no longer entirely on the cards, and because of it, he managed to loose a fair amount of money.
But it didn't matter.
He was thinking about Lily, something he'd be doing more and more of over the next few weeks. And as a result he'd loose more than money.
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