Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. All characters belong to a woman with a great imagination and determination, capable of creating this world that is the center of so many stories.
Sins of Angels: Thanks to all reviewers! I'll keep my chapters the same length and keep the updates coming as soon as I can! Also, I will try to make them longer too, but it's likely it won't work. Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter 21 – Close Calls
James entered the Common Room, and noticed that Sirius and Peter weren't there. He frowned and went up to their dormitory. When he opened the door, Sirius and peter were nowhere to be found. A note was left under a cup on the dresser closest to Remus's bed.
"James," he read aloud to himself. "We've gone to help Remus. Keep Evans away from the forbidden forest tonight, will you? Sirius."
James frowned and glanced out the window. Remus and Madame Pomfrey were walking across the grounds to the Whomping Willow. Sure enough, hiding in a bush you'd only spot if you knew where to look, a black dog and a rat were waiting.
"Blast it, Sirius, can't you use your bloody head for once?" James muttered. He put the note back down and decided to wait until they went in the shack. It was difficult to say how Sirius would pull it off, let alone how he would hold off Remus by himself. He can't, you fool! Your best friends are going to tear themselves to shreds!
Maybe they're just going to stay in the shack? Another voice in his head said, popping up. It sounded more hopeful. James liked this voice better.
Right, and that was just a friendly reminder. Face it, they're luring him out.
They can't by themselves. Surely they won't be that stupid.
Wasn't that what you had said when Sirius told you Snape was going to get bitten?
James frowned. He really didn't like that voice. Remus was inside, and now they were only waiting another couple of minutes before following. A thought struck him. How was he going to get through without Peter? He couldn't. He didn't have time for invisibility cloaks. Turning around, he ran to his room. He grabbed his broomstick, opened his window, and jumped. The knock Lily made was only heard by the empty room. She waited a while before she gave up, missing to see him land in the bush with Sirius and Peter.
"OW! Watch it, Prongs!" Sirius yelled after James landed on him. Both he and Peter had transformed. "Glad to see you made it," he added, grinning.
James sighed. "Don't tell me you planned this, Padfoot."
Sirius frowned. "Don't yell at me, James. You love our little strolls in the forest. I know you do."
"No, Sirius, we can't do it. It's too dangerous. Evans is right, Sirius. We've been fools all along."
"Evans, James? Evans doesn't even like you, and you're willing to put her before your friends?"
"Does Remus know you're planning this?"
Sirius didn't answer. "He would thank us," he said, finally.
"No, Padfoot, he wouldn't. And how do you plan to get him out without him catching you anyway. Peter can't restrain him until you get a head start, can he?"
"That's where you come in, Prongs. Or, at least, that's where you would have."
"I'm not doing this, Sirius. We've been tempting fate way too long. Our luck will run out."
Sirius looked at him, his eyes big and disbelieving. "Sorry, mate," he said and ran for it, transforming. Peter was already at the tree, his paw pressed to paralyze it. Sirius dove into the opening and Peter followed.
"Damn it, Sirius, you're going to your death!" James yelled after him. Only a moment passed as he decided what to do. He transformed, running at the tree. He was almost at the hole when–
The yelp he made carried across the grounds as the stag was flung to the wall by the tree. James scrambled to get out of the way, but the Whomping Willow had already lost interest in him. However, Lily had appeared on the grounds. She rushed over to where he was, as the stag became a human again.
"Potter?" Lily said as she neared. Her voice took on a frightened quality as she whispered, "James?"
James looked at her. His eyes widened and he sprang up, looking around wildly. He grabbed Lily by the shoulders. "We must save them, Lily. Remus won't know what he's doing. They can't get him, Lily. Not without being killed. Help them, Lily! Help them!"
"James, are you okay? Help who?"
James turned to look at the tree. Lily understood.
"Black and Pettigrew? They went in there? What are they doing, James?"
James turned back to her, as if only realizing who she was. "Lily…run! Get back to the castle! If they manage to lure him out, you can't transform! Run! I'll stop them as they come out, but you have to get to a safe place!"
"They're luring him out, James?" she asked, terrified.
"They'll try to," he said quietly. "But all that might happen is Remus may rip Sirius to shreds."
Lily gave an involuntary gasp. "And what will you do, James?" she asked, fear clearly in her voice.
"I'll save him, Lily. I'll save all of them."
James gave her a brave smile and started to run right at the Whomping Willow. He transformed and hit the tree head on, managing to hit the magic spot as the tree stopped moving. As he went through the hole, Lily retreated back inside the castle. She reluctantly closed the main gates and stared out intently from a window. "Don't you dare die on me, James Potter," she whispered.
James was making his way through the tunnel as fast as he could. There wasn't room to turn around in here, and he wasn't in a position to transform into a mole, so he had to get to the shack before Sirius decided to top himself for the title of Stupidest Man on Earth. As he came up to the entrance of the Shrieking Shack, he found to his relief that Sirius and Peter were still there, waiting for Remus to finish changing.
The black dog that was Sirius barked at James's arrival and Peter squeaked with excitement. James shook his head, pointing his antlers at Sirius. The dog whimpered and his ears went to the side of his head. James just repeated his action. There was a moment when both of them wished they had the power to communicate telepathically. Sirius was the first to break and decided to go have the argument where they could do more than gestures. He bounded through James's legs and wagged his tail as the stag struggled to turn around. Peter, however, went in, deciding to keep Remus company no matter what Sirius and James decide. After James had turned around, he galloped down the passage as fast as he could, keeping his head down and his eyes on the dog. Sirius ran as fast as he could, to save time, and bounded through the hole. James just barely fit through it and then ran out of the way as the Whomping Willow sensed the disturbance. Lily watched from her window as the dog and the stag ran to a safe place and transformed back to themselves. She breathed a sigh of relief as it became evident that a werewolf was not following them.
"You become more like a child with every year you get older, Sirius!" James shouted as he wiped dirt from his face.
"Well excuse me, Mr. Abide-by-the-rules!" Sirius said roughly as he rubbed his hands together to get rid of the dried mud.
"Did it ever occur to you that those rules were set for the sole purpose of your safety?"
"Funny thing, Prongs, it never seemed to bother you before," Sirius muttered. James glared at him.
"Not to mention trying to lure Remus out all by yourself! That's suicide, Sirius!"
"Well, I didn't, did I?"
"Only because I got there in time!"
"Oh, yes, the great James Potter saved the day again!" Sirius said mockingly. "Do you get some kind of pleasure from abandoning your friends, James? Because that's what you're doing!"
"I am not abandoning them, I am saving your skin!"
"Sure, James, hide behind that. You tell Remus tomorrow we couldn't make his transformation less painful because suddenly delicate James Potter follows the rules!"
"Remus did fine without us this week!"
"Did he, James? Or maybe you were just too damn far away to her him scream?" Sirius asked, yelling it into James's face. James hesitated. "I swear, Prongs, that damn Head Boy badge has got you thinking like Evans!"
"Sirius, what you wanted to do tonight was madness! I had to stop you!"
"You know what you did, James?"
"Saved your damn life?"
"No, Prongs. You hurt your friends. You hurt them by not being there for them!"
"What are you going to do?" James yelled after Sirius as he headed to the Whomping Willow. Sirius laughed humorlessly.
"Don't worry. I'll just sit with him until dawn…Potter."
He transformed and bounded through the hole again. James turned and went inside the castle, leaning against the wall and exhaling deeply.
"Well," he said bitterly. "It's nice to know I have one less thing to do, now that I severed ties with…Black."
He started his long walk to his dormitory, pacing himself slowly. He rubbed his eyes as his steps echoed down the silent hallway. The windows cast a shadow from the light of the full moon shining through. James felt sure he'd throw up if he glanced at the bright satellite. Wordlessly, he entered the dorm, ignored Lily's smile and went up to his room, laying in his bed and cursing the world in general, himself in particular.