A/N: Hey kiddies! Sorry about the lack of updates, but first it was AP testing, then SOLs, then prom, now exams . . . crazy. I tell you. Anyway, without further gilding the Lilly, and without any ado, here's
Chapter 20: Questions and Successes
The next morning, Tabitha woke early and went down to the Common Room. As she made her way toward the portrait, she heard –
"You didn't think you'd get away that easy, did you?"
Sighing, she turned back to Remus, and sat next to him on the couch.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"It wasn't just my secret to tell. Dumbledore had been training us since the end of fifth year, to control our powers, to fight. We just got used to it being secret. There was nobody else to tell at the time."
"So, now you're a secret auror team that works for Dumbledore"
"Basically . . . yes"
"Basically?"
"Well, it's really hard to explain"
"I still don't understand why you didn't tell me."
"Well, why didn't you tell me about being a werewolf!"
"I did tell you!"
"Under duress!" she sighed quietly, "Look, we all have our secrets. Our demons that we have to deal with. This is one of ours."
"Hmm, you can control the wind. Doesn't sound too demonic to me" Remus said dryly.
"We have to protect the world, Remus. From an evil, mass murderer. That's not something one easily comes to gripes with, is it?"
After that, they sat on the couch together, in silence, contemplating the future until groggy, sleepy-eyes Gryffindors began to stumble down the stairs.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It was early February, and the Marauders lay in the dormitory. James lay on Sirius' bed, his feet propped up on the wall. Sirius, in turn, lay dozing against the side of Remus' bed. Remus was writing furiously on a piece of parchment, while Peter, in a surprise appearance, shuffled a deck of Exploding Snap cards.
"Guys! Guys!"
An excited Frank Longbottom ran into the room, tripped over a Transfiguration textbook, dropped to the ground like a sack of dungbombs, and popped back up again, a huge smile on his face.
"Wow, Frank. That's the first time you've tripped in two years. What happened?" James inquired, turning to sit Indian style on the bed.
"I asked Alice to be my girlfriend . . . and she said yes!" exclaimed the young chaser.
"wow!" "way to go, mate!" "knew you could do it!" congratulations could be heard throughout the dorm.
"How'd you ask her?" asked Sirius
Flashback-----
Alice and Frank walked through the frosted gardens of Hogwarts. They had taken walks quite frequently recently. Frank looked vaguely sick, and Alice was flushed prettily with worry.
"Frank? Are you alright? You look a little . . .ill . . ." Alice trailed off.
"No!" he squeaked. He cleared his throat, "No, I'm fine, but thank you."
They walked in silence.
Suddenly, Frank stopped, turning Alice to face him.
"Alice." He swallowed, "Every time we walk like this, I always try to work up the courage to ask you to be my girlfriend."
Alice looked down shyly, blushing lightly.
"Every time we walk like this, I always hope you'll ask me to be your girlfriend."
"Will you? Be my girlfriend, I mean"
She looked up, smiling brightly.
"Of course!"
And there, in the old gardens that had seen so many, they shared their first kiss.
end Flashback-----
"That's so . . . magical!" cried Sirius, from the floor, where he and James sat together, wiping fake tears from their eyes.
"Oh, shut up you great prat!"
Little did they know that Alice was telling the girls the same story. As the others laughed and sighed together, Lilly thought of a messy, dark-haired boy.
'I blew it. I know I blew it. Why did I feel like this two years ago?'
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Potion?"
"Check."
"Protective gear?"
"Check."
"Can you just get on with it?" said Gretchen impatiently, tapping her foot.
"Four impatient girls?" asked James.
"Check!" cried Sirius.
"Alrighty then. You've studied animal anatomy. After you drink the potion, you'll find your animal. Then you transform the first time. After that you practice control, and you're home free."
"Explain why this is dangerous and illegal again?" asked Alice.
"The potion is incredibly difficult to brew properly. Remember when Peter walked around thinking he was a badger for three days due to one faulty batch?"
"So, that's what that was. . . I always wondered" Gretchen said.
Lilly took her goblet, sniffed it delicately, pinched her nose, and threw it back like a shot.
"hello?" she said softly, opening her eyes.
She was in a jungle. Gargantuan trees stretched above her head, while exotic, colorful flowers grew all around her. She slowly ventured forward, gently pushing vines and flowers out of her way.
She felt terribly exhausted, and didn't know that she could make another step. Just as Lilly pondered taking a nap, she stopped dead in her tracks.
A sleeping tiger lay directly across her path. Unsure of how to deal with this, she walked cautiously toward it. Lazily opening its eyes, the great Bengal tiger stared back at her with emerald eyes.
Lilly smiled quietly.
She jolted back to the Head Common Room as her body began to shift.
Her skin rippled, and took on the pattern of Bengal tiger fur. She felt her ears shift, her hearing sharpen. She wanted to hunt, to smell, to taste. Strange two-leggers surrounded her. She wanted . . .
"Uh. Good. Lilly. Um, now concentrate on your human form and change back." James said.
A tired looking Lilly appeared a moment later.
"Congrats, Lil" James said.
"Thanks" she replied, yawning prettily into her hand.
Sighing with contentment, she curled up against James, falling asleep with her face nuzzled into his chest.
James tried to concentrate as Alice became an Arctic wolf, Gretchen a lemur, and Tabitha a violet-eyes panther, staring at them from the shadows unblinkingly.
But all he could think about was the petite red-haired girl curled up next to him. The girl who had captured his heart. His flame. His Tiger Lilly.
