As Halloween crept closer, Lily found herself hanging around the Marauders more frequently. McGonagall had forbidden Lily and James to talk about what they were doing to anyone so Lily couldn't tell her friends. James', however already knew (not that McGonagall knew that they knew) so they were free to talk about it. It was a week before Halloween and Lily was sitting with them in the Library but they weren't working, books lay open and parchments sat half written on but their quills lay on the desks and forgotten about.
"What if something goes wrong and Evans can always see into your mind?" Sirius asked taking a swig from a flask.
"Black, please tell me that there is pumpkin juice in that flask."
"Sure," he said after a pause, "If you count pumpkin juice as Firewhiskey."
"Black!"
"Do you want some?" he asked offering the small silver flask to her. She looked at it disdainfully and before she could decline, James snatched it out of Sirius's hand and took a swig.
"Boys," Lily rolled her eyes. "And as for the spell, I'm not going to stuff it up."
"You better not, Evans. That's my best mate we're talking about."
"Oi, tone it down a bit, Padfoot," James said and he winked at Lily, "Evans, will do the spell perfectly."
"Well, if you're so nervous about me doing the spell on Potter. Why don't I try a test run on you now?" Lily bluffed, wiggling her fingers.
"I would let you but I don't want permanent brain damage."
Lily scrunched up a piece of parchment and chucked it at Sirius. "How on earth did I get stuck doing a group project with you lot?"
"Well, Professor Scrivens said to go by tables and you were sitting on our table for some reason," Peter shrugged and Remus sighed.
"I don't think she meant literally, Wormtail."
"What's with these nicknames you've all given each other?" Lily asked curiously. "Padfoot," she said pointing to Sirius, "Wormtail," she said gesturing to Peter who was trying to look at the tip of his nose, "Moony," she continued pointing to Remus, "And Prongs," she looked at James, "I just don't get it."
"One more week, Evans," Sirius said.
"And you'll understand," Remus added.
"Everything," Peter added dramatically and James rolled his eyes and Lily didn't know whether to laugh or be frightened.
"Are you guys a part of a cult or something?"
"What the bloody hell is a 'cult'?" Sirius asked.
Lily sighed, "Don't worry." She yawned and leaned her head on James's shoulder. She didn't even realise she'd done something out of the ordinary until James's body went stiff from surprise. They'd been together so much in the past week, it was just a reflex and it felt natural, like how it did before summer so Lily kept her head on his shoulder. She was tired. He was comfortable.
—
Marlene frowned. She sat in the library with Nate and, much to her disdain, Mia Scott though that wasn't the reason for the frown.
"Stop staring, Marls. You'll burn a hole through Evans' head," Nate said not looking up from his textbook.
"Come on! It's so weird," Marlene exclaimed, tugging the book out from his hands so he'd pay attention to her. "I mean look! She is resting her head on Potter's shoulder yet she claims they aren't together. And she hangs out with them all the time."
Nate glanced at the group of five sitting on the other side of the library. "Potter did save her," Nate pointed out. "And they are doing the DA project together."
Marlene shook her head. "She's hiding something," Marlene insisted. "She sits with them for meals, sits with them in class when she can and now she's doing homework with them? And she's resting her head on his shoulder still!"
"You rest your head on my shoulder all the time," Nate pointed out.
Marlene rolled her eyes and tsked. "You're like my brother, it doesn't count. You couldn't cut the sexual tension between Lily and Potter with the strongest slicing charm. Do you think they finally shagged? It would explain why they're so … together. But why wouldn't she just tell us?"
"Maybe you're reading too much into it?" Mia suggested and Marlene stared at her and then, "No. No, I am not because this is weird!"
Nate chuckled. "I think you're being weird. Can I have my book back now?"
"Only if you admit it's weird."
"Fine. It's weird. Now book," he demanded and Marlene slid it over and he rolled his eyes, "You couldn't keep it open on the page I had it on?"
But Marlene wasn't paying attention. Her eyes focused on her friend and her new friends. Lily was laughing at something one of them said and Potter was grinning mischievously. Nate waved a hand in front of her eyes.
"Would you stop staring? You're are about as subtle as a hippogriff."
Marlene scowled but looked away. "It's weird."
"We've established," Nate deadpanned, "Now can you concentrate on this? I want to get to dinner."
—
James Potter didn't know what was happening to the world. Lily Evans, the girl he'd inevitably been crushing on since third grade, was treating him like a friend. Sirius had warned him, "Don't get your hopes up," but it was done. The hopes were flying and soaring in James's mind even though he knew somewhere deep down that nothing would ever happen. Probably. James had to give himself credit because however unofficial he still managed to snog Lily in a few broom closets before last summer. James reckoned he had a twelve percent chance of getting Evans to agree to go to the next Hogsmeade trip with him.
"Is that all?" Sirius snorted as he shoved a piece of cake down his throat. "I'd have a bigger chance at asking a stranger to the next Hogsmeade trip."
They were in the Great Hall for dinner but it was almost empty now, only a few students remained on the Gryffindor table.
"Well, to be fair so do I but it's her. It's Lily Evans and she's inside my head and I just, she's always been there and now I feel like a have a real chance, you know?"
"Well in five days, she will literally be inside your head and she's gonna find out everything. You're a complete tosser, by the way."
"Geez, thanks," James groaned.
"She's gonna see how many times you doodled her initials onto pieces of parchment when you're bored and how nervous you got every single time before you'd ask her out and basically see how shit you felt every time she rejected you. I don't know why you're doing this to be honest. It's like signing up for humiliation. You obsessed over that bird so much you basically stalked her."
"Great mate you are," James huffed, his ears going red. Sure he'd done that stuff, he just hadn't realised his mates had noticed. "I'm going back to the dorm."
Sirius just nodded and kept eating and James rolled his eyes. Sirius always ate and it was quite worrying. James was afraid that one day his broomstick wouldn't lift off the ground.
James didn't like the fact that he couldn't get over Lily. He wished he could and he wondered if his past relationships would've survived if he could get over her. All his ex-girlfriends had said the same thing. That James was disinterested in them, that he would blank out mid conversation to get a glimpse at Lily. It wasn't their fault. They just didn't compare to Lily. No one could in James's eyes. There were beautiful girls and then there was Lily.
If beautiful was a country, Lily would reign over it. Her long red hair would become sacred and her emerald eyes would be an omen from the heavens. She was kind with her feisty temper matching her hair and across the land, people with red hair would be honoured because they had the same colour as their great Queen. But it was more than just her looks. A part of her beauty was in her kindness, her selflessness.
James climbed into the Portrait Hole and headed up the stairs, as he did so he started to unbutton his shirt and take off his tie. He walked into his room only to jump back startled. Lily was sitting on Sirius's bed reading his muggle studies textbook.
"Oh!" she said loudly turning around so her back was facing him. "Hi."
"Evans? What're you doing in my dorm?"
"I needed to talk to you."
"You can turn around you know."
She did and she said, "Seriously, Potter, can't you button up?"
"Is it distracting you?" James asked with a smirk and Lily rolled her eyes and looked away. It was distracting her but she didn't need him to know that.
"You're an arse."
"Why're you here then?"
Lily shook her head and remembered why she was here.
"I'm scared," she blurted out and her shoulders slumped a little.
"Why?" James asked concerned.
"Just about everything. I've, I've started to get nightmares about, about," Lily didn't seem able to finish but James knew what she meant. She was having nightmares about the attack. "And I'm scared about Halloween. What if I don't get the spell right?"
"You will."
"But what if I don't?"
"You will."
"But what if I don't?!"
"You will, but if you don't you better visit me in St Mungo's."
"Why?"
"Because, if I'm in hospital with a kooky brain, I'm gonna need a pretty lady to keep my spirits up," James said with a grin and Lily blushed. James laid down on his bed, "C'mere," he said gesturing to the spot next to him. "We'll go over it and over it as long as you need."
Lily seemed hesitant for a moment but she crawled onto the bed next to James and James started talking and suddenly Lily didn't feel so scared anymore. James thought that this was the most natural thing there was and felt as though nothing could hurt him here. As though, if they were to lay there forever they'd live forever. The moment was immortalised in his brain and forever would be until his last breath.
—
Ella was walking with Marlene who had dropped the Putley subject on the grounds of obsessing over how friendly Lily had become with the Marauders over the last week or so. Lily was walking a few meters ahead of them with the Marauders and Marlene was staring at them sourly.
"I mean, it's like she's completely forgotten us!"
"She has been a little M.I.A lately," Ella frowned because even though the rest of the girls hadn't noticed straight away like Marlene had, they definitely noticed now. They only saw Lily for very brief periods of time either at meals, before classes or most commonly, in their dormitory before bed.
"A little?" Marlene said incredulously. "She won't even tell us why she's hanging out with them so much."
"Maybe she will," Ella reasoned. "Maybe she isn't ready to tell us that her and Potter shagged."
"How do you know they shagged?"
A pause. "It's an assumption. What else could have Lily hanging out with them in every spare minute? And the timing is questionable. The day after she broke up with Fortescue, she started hanging out with them."
Marlene frowned. "How do you know that?"
"It's the day you started nagging about it."
Marlene hit her. "No one is allowed to call me a nag anymore!"
"Then stop being one." Marlene glared at her. "Okay, okay. You're not a nag. You're just very passionate and you like letting people know just how passionate you are."
Marlene rolled her eyes. "Thanks."
"No problem."
They rounded the corner and Ella slammed right into Michael Putley, her books falling to the floor.
"Shit, Ella," Marlene exclaimed, bending down to help her with her books, "You okay?"
Ella nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she looked at Michael. "Hi," she said quietly.
"Watch were you're going, Dearborn." Was all he said before walking off.
"Dick!" Ella exploded to Marlene once he was far enough away.
"You did let him kiss you and then turn him down."
"He's still a dick — oh look, Lily's heading off somewhere by herself." Sure enough, Lily turned into a different corridor to the Marauders and Marlene and Ella were quick to catch up.
"Lils!" they shouted and she turned, a smile on her face.
"Hey, guys. What are you up to?"
"We were heading to the library to do homework. Want to join?"
"I'd love to but Sirius needs help with Charms. I was just going to drop this off at the library. Actually would you mind taking it for me since you're already going there?" Lily asked, oblivious to the faces her two mates were pulling.
"Uh, sure," Ella said grabbing the book off Lily.
"Maybe you can sit with us for dinner?" Marlene suggested.
"Sure," Lily agreed, "See you guys later!" With that she ran off the other way. "Oi! Black!" they heard her shout. "Wait up!"
"Evans," they heard Black say back, "That was the quickest trip to the library I've ever witnessed."
"My book hitched a ride," her voice faded as they walked further away.
Marlene turned to Ella. "That did not just happen."
"It just happened," Ella confirmed.
"They're like … friends," Marlene wrinkled her nose.
"Three galleons says she still sits with them for dinner."
"I would take you up on that but I don't want to lose three galleons. Mum and Dad only gave me fifteen for the entire school year so I am on a very tight budget."
"Sucks to be you. Do you think Adaline will take me up on the bet?"
Marlene shrugged. "Probably."
—
Adaline walked to dinner with Thomas.
"Don't be daft," Adaline scoffed, "Of course we would win against a vampire attack!"
"We would be sleeping," Thomas said matter-of-factly.
"Yes but they can't suck the blood of every human over night," Adaline pointed out as they both took a seat at the Gryffindor table. Adaline paused for a moment to let that sink in, a small smile on her face. "The next morning we'd wake up, be like 'vamps gone out of control' and we'd just stake them whilst they are sleeping."
"But we can't get every vampire!"
"You're fear of a vampire apocalypse is completely irrational," Adaline argued for the tenth time. "They need us to survive!"
"They could live off of animals."
"But they prefer human."
"Exactly! What if they like us just a little too much that they decide to wipe us out?"
Adaline rolled her eyes. "I'm really not going to be able to persuade you otherwise, am I?"
"Nope."
"It's totally irrational."
Marlene and Ella sat down opposite them. "What's irrational?" Ella asked.
"Fear of a vampire apocalypse," Adaline shrugged, piling beef stew onto her plate.
"Not as irrational as you may think," Ella countered, "Read an article over the summer that vampire numbers were in fact rising."
"That's what I'm talking about!" Thomas exclaimed, pointing a finger at Ella.
"Don't egg him on," Adaline complained.
"I think it's irrational," Marlene inputted before sitting up straight and nudging Ella. Ella looked at the doors and Adaline did too.
"Why are we staring at Lily?" Thomas asked but the girls hushed him, anticipating what Lily was going to do.
Lily stood with the Marauders, chatting and Ella tsked. "She said she'd sit with us."
"Bet you a galleon she doesn't," Marlene sung.
Peter and Sirius sat down but Lily didn't make a move. She turned to towards her friends.
"I don't believe it. Blimey, she's actually going to sit with us," Ella exclaimed but she spoke too soon. Lily pulled a sad face and mouthed, "Sorry" and followed Potter and Lupin to where the other two were sitting.
"Someone owes me a galleon," Marlene announced.
"No actually, we don't. No one took you up on your bet, Marls. That's not the way betting works."
"Can't believe she didn't sit with us," Ella frowned. "I am officially ignoring her."
"Do you think she'd notice?" Adaline asked sourly.
"Probably not," Marlene agreed.
"Oh, so you guys are mad at Lily because she's dating Potter," Thomas guessed.
"They aren't dating, Tommy. They're just always … together," Adaline frowned.
"It's getting quite annoying," Ella added just as Alice sat down next to her.
"What's annoying?"
"Lily," the three girls said simultaneously.
"Ah."
Marlene and Ella proceeded to tell them the run-in they'd had with Lily in the afternoon and the girls agreed that they should start treating Lily as she had been treating them.
"Don't you think that's adding fuel to the fire?" Thomas asked. "Maybe she's got a good excuse for hanging out with the boys a lot. Maybe you should just try talking to her about it, instead of, you know, making it bigger."
"Bless your Hufflepuff heart," Alice sighed.
"And it's not 'a lot'," Marlene corrected, "It's all the bloody time."
"She's asking for it," Ella shrugged.
Adaline shrugged. "I'm with them. Lily's been so stand-offish the last week or so, it's ridiculous."
"Ella, not to alarm you, but Michael Putley is staring at you," Alice noted.
Ella snapped her head up from her food and scowled. "Dick."
"Arse."
"Wait, we don't like Putley now?" Alice frowned. "I thought we were routing for Ella and him to date."
"Nah. He's being mean," Marlene sighed. "Ella deserves better than a guy who can't handle a no."
"I am right here," Ella said disgruntled that they decided to talk about her love life as though she weren't even there.
"Damn," Alice said, "Because he is H.O.T."
"Would've made adorable blue eyed babies," Adaline agreed.
"Again, right here."
—
Halloween was two days away and James was trying his best not to think about it. It wasn't an easy thing to willingly let someone into your head let alone your all time crush. Lily would be gracious about it, that James was sure of and as her bond became closer with the group he was sure that she would keep their secret. It was the other stuff James was worried about. His bad moments, like when he and Sirius bullied Snape and cursed him. Or when he would yell at his mother out of frustration on the holidays because she wouldn't leave him alone. Or maybe she'd look at him differently once she saw just how much he fancied her.
"What's wrong?" Lily asked. They had been sitting in the common room doing a potions essay on Amortentia. They'd be making it after Halloween and Professor Slughorn wanted to make sure that everyone understood all of the properties it possesses and why it can effectively be a dangerous potion. It had gotten late though. Only a few older students still sat around the common room completing homework and the fire was getting smaller by the hour.
"Nothing."
"You've barely written a word in the last five minutes."
"Well, neither have you if you've been watching me."
"Don't be cheeky. Come on, what's wrong?"
James sighed, "You'll find out soon enough."
James could see Lily fighting her anger. She attempted to say something and then closed her mouth. She was like a mute person trying to speak. Her features went hard and her eyes boiled into him.
"Potter-"
"Must we still call each other by our last names?"
"Potter, just because of the spell doesn't mean we can't have a normal conversation!"
"No, you don't understand," James sighed. "You'll find out eventually."
"Potter, stop playing games. What'll I find out eventually?"
James was silent for a moment and he stared at his barely written essay. He couldn't tell her.
"What do you think is another negative of Amortentia?" he asked instead and she stood up suddenly. James was surprised but he supposed she was pissed off with him. He could see where she was coming from but he couldn't help but childly think, she's not the one who is going to have her memories on display.
"You know, Potter. I don't have to do this. I'm doing this for you. You could at least be somewhat nice to me."
"Then why are you doing this? Huh?"
"Because, because I don't know! I care!" Lily exploded. "Was that what you wanted to hear? That I care! Well I do."
"Well maybe you should stop."
James wanted to murder himself. His long time crush told him that she cared about him and he told her to stop. He was an idiot.
"Maybe I should. How about if you want to be acquitted for attempted murder you tell me on the day how you're feeling? Or better yet why don't you just send Black!? He seems to talk to me more than you do!"
"Fine then! I will!"
"Fine!" Lily snapped and she gathered her things and James watched as she swept up the staircase to the girls dormitories.
—
Lily had never been so furious. Just when she had thought she was finally getting on well with Potter he went and proved her wrong. She was sick of hearing 'she'd find out eventually'. James was always saying that to questions Lily asked him. Lily couldn't help but get angry over it. Yes she'd be in his head. That didn't mean she was going to find out everything. She was just going to stay in his head until she found the memory of what he was doing on the morning Mia Scott was attacked.
She stormed into her dormitory and found the four girls, sitting up in their beds reading.
"Why are boys such arrogant pricks?" Lily exploded. "I mean why can't they just answer a simple question without being so damn cryptic?"
"Noticed us again, have you?" Alice asked icily and Lily was taken aback. It had been quite a few days since the girls had decided to ignore Lily but it had been futile because Lily hadn't been around them long enough to notice something was up.
"What do you mean?" she puzzled.
"You've barely spoken to us in two weeks. How's hanging out with the Marauders, then?" Ella asked bitterly.
"Nice of you to include us by the way," Marlene added.
"Are you and Potter finally going out then?" Alice asked. "Just thought you would've wanted to tell us, since we're your best friends but I guess I was wrong."
"Are you serious?" Lily asked outraged. She couldn't tell her friends one thing and they immediately think she's secretly dating Potter. Probably the only male to continuously piss her off on a daily basis.
"Well you've suddenly ditched us in all our classes and you go off gallivanting with Potter and Black at night, what the hell are we meant to think?" Adaline exploded and Lily was truly astonished.
"I'm not going out with Potter," Lily defended.
"Really? Looks that way to us. You don't have to lie to us, Lily."
"I'm not lying!" Marlene rolled her eyes and Lily looked desperately at all of them. "I can't believe you would think I would lie about something like that! Ella," Lily turned to her friend but Ella just shook her head.
"You're hiding something, Lily. If you're not shagging Potter then I don't know what you're hiding."
"You all seriously think I'm shagging Potter!?" Lily asked outraged. They all stared at Lily, voiceless. "I see," she said bitterly. "I guess, I'll sleep in the common room tonight."
Lily grabbed her pyjamas and went to the bathroom. She changed quickly, brushing her teeth and letting her hair out. She looked at herself in the mirror. She wanted to cry but she couldn't. Not in front of them. She collected herself and walked out. She dumped her school robes and uniform on the bed and pulled off the top blanket, wrapping it around her shoulders. She left the dorm and as she was walking down the stairs she hoped James would've left by now.
She peeked out and saw that the common room had completely emptied. She slumped her shoulders and walked to the longest couch the Gryffindor common room had. It was a red one near the fire and it's cushions were probably the best Lily had ever felt. They never seemed to go flat. The fire was almost out now and the common room was freezing so she shot some more flames into the fire and it perked up a little.
She lay down on the couch, facing the fire and watching the flames wave and spit out sparks occasionally. The first tear fell. She felt like everything was falling apart. Her friends hated her. Potter hated her. She couldn't hang out with the Marauders if Potter hated her it'd be too weird and the Marauders stick together. If Lily knew anything it was that. She'd be alone tomorrow. Lily could do alone. She did alone when she was at home and Petunia refused to talk to her. She could handle it.
She couldn't believe her friends yet she couldn't help but know it was her fault. She'd let the ball drop. She'd gone off with the Marauders and left her friends behind. Maybe that's why she found it so frustrating because she could feel herself slipping away from them and the little voices reminded her of her friends, yet she ignored it thinking they'd understand. But how could they understand if Lily couldn't tell them all the information?
She didn't know who she was more upset and angry at: Potter, her friends or herself.
"Evans?"
Lily stopped crying and used the blanket to wipe her tears away before sitting up.
"Black. How'd you know it was me?"
"Hair. I think anyone could spot it a mile away."
Lily smiled but it was weak and her eyes started to water again.
"What have you snuck out to do now?"
"I glued Filch's door stuck."
"What else?" Lily inquired knowing Sirius.
"I may have jinxed the suits of armour to sing Mama Mia by ABBA whenever someone walks past. How funny is it going to be? All the pure-bloods will be so bloody confused and the muggle-borns will just be like 'hey, I know that song!'"
"You're so bloody weird, Black."
Sirius sat next to Lily and they leaned against the backrest. "Wanna tell me what's wrong?" Lily looked at him questioningly. "You're sleeping in the common room and your eyes are as puffy as a puffskein, I'm not a bloody moron."
Lily blushed and then, because she really had nothing to lose, told Sirius everything about James and her friends. He listened. He didn't interrupt Lily, he just let her rant.
"Well, Prongs is easy. He's scared."
"Of what?"
"Of you finding out everything. When he said, 'you'll find out eventually', he meant you'll find out everything eventually. It's a little mortifying when you think about it. And as for your friends, after Halloween they'll understand."
"Meanwhile, I'm stuck in the common room."
"I can stay for a bit if you want."
"Want to play chess?"
Sirius nodded and grabbed the set of wizards chess that sat on the table.
"What's Potter so scared of me finding out?"
Sirius looked at Lily and smiled, "That's for you to find out and for Prongs to tell."
Lily nodded. "My mum's name is Rosie by the way, Sirius."
"My mum's name is Walburga. Horrible name isn't it, Lily?" Sirius asked when she tried to stifle a laugh.
"Just a bit."
"It's all right, you can laugh. She's an old, pure-blood hag anyways."
"That bad?"
"All about blood purity," Sirius rolled his eyes and moved a pawn, "Want to know how I used to rebel against her?" Lily nodded, "I would collect muggle posters from magazines and use irreversible sticking charms and hang them in my room. Drove her mad, it did."
"Are they still there?"
"Should be, unless the old hag invented a spell that can reverse the charm. Oh, the shame it brought her to have muggle objects in her house."
"What do you mean should be?" Lily moved a pawn and it smashed one of Sirius's pawns.
"I live with James now. I ran away and my family disowned me. I have exactly two relatives that I talk to. My Uncle Alphard and my first cousin, Andromeda who married a muggle-born, Ted Tonks."
"I'm sorry about your parents."
"Don't be. They were horrible pure-blood maniacs who would've relished in the exile and torture of muggle-borns. I'm better off without them."
"They agree with Voldemort?"
"They think he's got the right idea. I obviously don't. What about your parents? What do they do?" Sirius asked as he moved a rook.
"My dad works in a factory and my mum's a nurse at the hospital."
"That's like a doctor isn't it?"
"Sort of, they help to heal people but they're on a lower level to doctors."
"Ahh," Sirius said and Lily got the impression that he had no idea what she was talking about. "Do they know much, about our world?"
"You mean the war?"
"Yeah."
"No," Lily said shaking her head. "Well yes, I told them but they just think it's little protests movements you know? Nothing to worry about. They don't know he's actually going around and torturing muggles."
Sirius nodded as he checkmated.
"You're horrible at chess," he stated.
"Thanks," Lily said.
"You still going to help James?"
"Probably."
"That's good. He doesn't deserve to get accused of murder."
"I know."
"Azkaban is no place for an innocent person."
"I know that too," Lily said quietly and goose bumps rose when she thought of the dementors. Lily had never been to Azkaban and she never wanted to experience it. You'd have to be crazy to want to go to Azkaban.
"I wonder what I would see if I ever met a dementor."
"I'd rather not know."
"It'd just be interesting to see if what I consider as my worse memory is actually my worse memory."
"I guess. But still…"
"You'd rather not know."
"Yep. Easier to get scared or haunted by something when you know exactly what it is that scares or traumatises you."
"I guess."
Lily leaned back on the couch.
"What do you want to do when you leave school?"
"Auror. You?" he asked back.
"I've no idea. Perhaps a healer, or an auror."
"Come be an auror with me Lily. We could be the best team."
"Ditching Potter are you?"
"Only for you."
Lily laughed, "You're such a goof. What do you think your worse memory is?"
"The moment I realised I hated my mother. I was fifteen and for a few years I had been making excuses for her views on blood purity. You know, she was brought up that way, she doesn't know any better and just stuff like that and then one day she said, "I hope all the muggle-borns out there know that they are just abnormalities and thieves. They should all be executed" and I tried to fight her opinion. I said that one of the smartest people in my year was a muggle-born. 'Brilliant at potions she was' I had said and I'd never had such a beating before. She yelled and screamed about how any blood-traitor wouldn't be welcome in her house whether I was her son or not. Reg just sat on the couch watching. It took a binding spell for my father to restrain her. I thought she was going to kill me. They sent me to bed that night without supper. The next night I packed and left for James' house."
Sirius looked over at Lily but she'd fallen asleep. Instead of waking her up, he got up gently and pulled the blanket over her. He added another log to the fire and shot flames into it to spruce it up. Then he left for his own bed. It was getting late.
—
James decided to go down early for breakfast. He'd avoid seeing Lily though, he'd never admit that was the actual reason. His 'reason' was that he had some homework he forgot to do last night which was utter rubbish because Lily had made sure they'd done all the homework before they moved on to the Potions essay.
He stepped into the common room and saw a bunch of first years crowding around the couch that was near the fireplace. He found it odd but didn't think much of it. First years usually were a little weird and a nuisance.
"Do you think she's dead?" one of them whispered and that caught James's attention. He walked over to the group and saw what they were marvelling at.
Lily Evans was curled up on the couch so still that not even the blanket twitched. She looked cute when she was sleeping. Her hair covered half her face and the rest covered the pillow, her knees were brought up to her chest as though she was still a baby in the womb. James sighed when he realised that his plan of avoiding Lily Evans for the day was going to go haywire and he hadn't even been up for an hour.
"All right, leave her alone," James ordered the first years. "Show's over."
They looked at him reproachfully.
"Go before I hex you!"
"You can't, you're Head Boy!" one of them sneered and James rolled his eyes.
"Wanna bet?"
The first years didn't seem to want to take the chance and scurried off, one dropped a set of scales and fumbled with the parchments she was holding.
James crouched down by Lily. He guessed there wasn't any avoiding Lily Evans. He checked his watch and saw that it was only six thirty and he knew she usually got up at seven thirty but he couldn't just leave her here for everyone to watch her. He groaned slightly before standing. He prayed she was a heavy sleeper before picking her up bridal style, he had an odd sense of déjà vu as carried her up the stairs to his dormitory. He placed her on his bed and woke up the boys quietly. Sirius seemed to understand straight away, though Brown took some convincing and they all headed down for breakfast at a quarter to seven, leaving Lily alone to sleep in their dormitory.
"I don't see why we had to get up?" grumbled Peter, who always loved to sleep in.
"Because, it's quite perverted for a girl to sleep in a room with four other men," Remus explained for the fiftieth time as they finished breakfast. "Without her knowing."
Brown hadn't sat with them at the Gryffindor table, he hardly ever did. He never seemed to agree with the other boys in his dormitory. They were too loud, troublesome and annoying whereas Brown was quiet and simple. He just didn't fit in. Instead he hung out with a group of Ravenclaw boys in their year.
"Have you noticed Brown's more quiet than usual?" Remus said thoughtfully.
"Maybe," Sirius considered.
"Talks less with his Ravenclaw mates," Peter commented.
"Do you think he's depressed?" James asked.
"Moment of silence for his tragic fall into depression?" Sirius proposed and he grabbed James' hand. They all grabbed hands and sat in silence for a moment with their eyes closed.
"Are you guys in a cult or something?" a voice asked and they all jumped and let go of each other's hands. Lily was standing behind them with a raised eyebrow. She had changed into her uniform and her hair had been brushed and now flowed nicely down her back. She sat down next to Sirius, still annoyed at James.
"Depends who you ask," Sirius joked.
"It wouldn't involve moving girls to your dormitory in the middle of the night, would it, Sirius?" she asked eyeing Sirius and James felt slightly jealous. Why would she assume that Sirius put her there?
"Yeah, but you can't tell anyone or else McGonagall might have our heads," he said and Lily rolled her eyes with a small smile.
"I, uh, got to go," James coughed awkwardly. Before anyone could say anything he got up and left.
His best mate was flirting with the girl he'd had a crush on since forever. James didn't like it at all. The Marauders knew that Lily was off limits and James was confused as to why Lily would even think Sirius moved her up to their dorm. Better yet James didn't know why Sirius went along with it when he knew it had been James who had moved Lily.
James just wanted to get Lily out of his head. Why was it so hard? He knew that she didn't feel that way about him. He knew nothing would ever happen. He knew that Lily Evans was too good for him. He knew all of it. So why was it so damn hard? It was like Lily Evans was James's own personal type of drug. She intoxicated him and the air around him still breathed her. Everything was Lily in his mind. Every prank, every thought, every idea had that underlining thought. What would Lily think? Everything was about Lily. He'd gotten good at hiding it, especially the past year but James dreamt about her. He thought of ways to sweep her off her feet even though he knew none of them would work. He just wished he could stop thinking about her so he could move on. He felt so stuck and it was frustrating. What if he never felt this way about another girl again and he ended up alone and old and bitter because the girl he loved didn't love him back? James didn't want to be that person.
"Potter!" a voice called out. James knew who the voice belonged to.
"Go away, Evans," he said not bothering to turn around. "I don't want to talk to you."
"Well tough luck," she said catching up to him and grabbing his arm. He cringed when he felt the weird fluttering in his stomach that happened whenever Lily got too close or her voice took him by surprise. He closed his eyes not wanting to see Lily's gorgeous face. "Sirius told me it was you."
They're on first name basis now, that was news to James and a further thing to be jealous about.
"What about it?"
"Well why?"
"Didn't want the whole of Gryffindor to see the disgusting drool that was sliding out of your mouth and onto the cushions. Can you leave me alone now?"
"Right," Lily said and James could tell she was offended. "Are we still doing the thing tomorrow? I just need to know."
"Whatever, Evans. I don't care."
"What the hell are you mad at me for?" Lily burst. "In case you'd forgotten, I was mad at you!"
"Yeah well now I'm mad at you!" James retorted and Lily slitted her eyes.
"Why?"
James shrugged. "You'll find out I guess!" he said just to piss her off more.
"URGH!" she shrieked. "You're such an arrogant toerag!"
"See you at eight tomorrow in McGonagall's office," James said simply before slipping behind a tapestry into a hidden corridor.
—
Lily woke up feeling nervous. It was Halloween today. She'd literally have a glimpse into James's mind and whilst it may sound cool and exciting, Lily didn't much like the idea of having to carry some of James's secrets. She already had her own to worry about.
Her friends still weren't talking to her and she'd slept in the Marauder's dormitory last night, after stealing the couch cushions from the common room to make a temporary bed on the floor. She found it hard to sleep though, it was awkward knowing five other guys were sleeping in the same room and they talked about weird stuff, not to mention the uncomfortable make-shift bed.
Lily missed normal conversations. Conversations about boys and though she was ashamed to admit it, gossip. She missed the gossip that came with hanging out with girls. She missed Marls weird need to read something out loud before she went to bed and how Adaline would throw stuff at her until she stopped. She missed Alice's late night rants on how boys are so clueless because Frank Longbottom was oblivious to her hinting that they should buy an apartment with two bedrooms instead of one bedroom. She missed Ella's morning routine of shower, dress, dry hair and make-up. She missed girls. She didn't like Sirius's snoring or Peter's whimpers during the night. She didn't like that James was there and sometimes she felt as though he was staring at her. She wanted the comfort of her own dorm back.
"You okay?" a voice asked and Lily rolled her head to see James looking at her. She rolled it back so she was staring at the ceiling.
"Talking to me again, are you?"
"How come you still call me 'Potter'?"
"What's my mother's name?"
"Mrs Evans?" James suggested.
"Exactly. If you don't know my mother's name we aren't close enough friends yet."
"Seriously?"
Lily shrugged. "It's just a name, Potter. What difference does it make?"
"None, I guess."
"You're a bit temperamental, aren't you?" James didn't say anything and Lily rolled her eyes.
"Are you nervous for tonight?" he asked.
"Terrified. You?"
"Terrified. What if Sirius is right and I end up with a gorked brain?"
"Geez, thanks for the vote of confidence."
"Wanna skip today?"
"Can't. I've got to hand in my Arithmacy essay. Besides today in Defence we're learning how inferi are made."
"I'm gonna skip today."
Lily decided it was time to get out of bed.
"Nice pyjamas," James remarked and Lily blushed. She was wearing flannel Winnie the Pooh pyjamas. She'd had them since she was little and somehow they'd always magically grown to fit Lily.
"Sod off."
Lily went to the bathroom with her uniform bundled in her hand and started the necessary start of day things. Shower, brush teeth, change, dry hair, make-up. She came out and saw James shirtless in bed. She had seen him without a shirt on before but she couldn't help but let her eyes wander down his torso and muscular arms. They were perfectly shaped as though they were carved.
"Enjoying the view."
"You flaunt, I'll enjoy," Lily said simply.
"See, Evans. You can't go around saying stuff like that to me."
"Why?"
"You don't see it at all, do you?" he asked annoyed. "I'm freakin' in love with you and you act like you've got no clue in the world!"
Lily was taken by complete surprise. She knew Potter had fancied her but she never imagined he still would after so many months.
"I – I," she stuttered hopelessly. "Why'd you tell me that?"
James shrugged and he wouldn't look Lily in the eye. "You were going to find out anyways at least this is a little less humiliating."
"I think I should go," she said quietly. She had this piece of information and she didn't know what to do with it. She wasn't in love with James but she couldn't deny that she'd grown to like him a little more over the past couple of weeks and he was an excellent snog. Better than Andrew if she was being honest with herself. She was confused. Definitely confused because if she was being more honest with herself, the way she had felt about Andrew never compared to the way James could make Lily feel.
"Come on, just give me a sec," he said scrambling off of his bed, still shirtless. He walked right up in front of Lily, so close Lily could see tiny gold flecks in his eyes. "Tell me you don't love me. That you'll never, ever love me."
"I," Lily stopped because slowly, James leaned down and ever so softly brushed his lips over hers and it took everything she had not to snake her arms around his neck.
"Tell me you don't want this," he whispered, and she could feel his breath on her mouth. He leaned his forehead on hers and Lily, brushed her lips over his.
"I - I don't know," she whispered, her eyes shut breathing him in, all sage and pepper. She couldn't promise anything like that but she couldn't admit how she was feeling. She was feeling like one day they could love each other and it scared her to death. How could she fall for James? The guy who she'd swore she'd never fall for. How could she fall for him? She didn't know the answers but she knew that she was falling for James Potter and it scared her to death. "I have Arithmacy, now," she said quietly, pulling away from him and she fled the room with James Potter still lingering on her clothes.
Lily walked out of the common room and wandered into Arithmacy, distracted and with the attention span of a goldfish. She couldn't stop thinking about James. He told her he loved her. Her very first I love you and she didn't even love him back. She felt horrible, like a massive weight had been put on her shoulders. She didn't know what to do and she had no one to talk to about it.
They were answering questions from the textbook but Lily had barely answered the first question. She couldn't stop thinking about what James had said. She still felt shock at the thought that James loved her after so many years. They'd never even dated, well, Lily thought thinking of sixth year, not officially.
"Spit it out then," Adaline said. Marlene was sitting on the other side of Adaline but pretended Lily wasn't there. Her long, thick blonde hair created a curtain to block Lily out. Adaline was looking at Lily expectantly, chewing a sugar quill.
"I thought you weren't talking to me."
"There's something bothering you, obviously and I'm willing to give you, maybe a minute, depending on how big your problem is and then we go back to not talking."
Lily was at a loss for words. She didn't know how to start. Besides she should be angry at her friends. She was angry at her friends but she also needed advice. No, she'd get it elsewhere. She was angry at her friends.
"Don't bother," Lily said bitterly.
"Lily."
"Leave me alone, Della. You guys cut me out, not the other way around. You don't have to pretend to care," Lily snapped. "Just leave me alone. Either you want to talk to me or you don't. You don't get to ask me what's wrong with me just so you can have the gossip piece of the night and then go back to hating me!"
"Lily!" she said reproachfully.
"Just leave me alone," Lily said and she created her own curtain of hair to block out Adaline. She managed to answer the first question, then the second, then the third and then she started thinking about James again.
—
It was ten minutes to eight o'clock and Lily had just finished having dinner. It was probably her least favourite Halloween feast. She was forced to sit with Daisy Ellery and Allison Hopkins and they kept asking Lily about James, who kept stealing long, uncomfortable glances at Lily. Plus Lily was nervous about the Memory Surfing charm.
"Evans!" Someone called and Lily turned around to see Remus and Sirius run after her. They stopped, panting slightly, in front of her.
"James, he told us. What happened," Sirius said breathlessly.
"This morning," Remus clarified. "He wants you to decide what you want."
"What I want?" Lily echoed.
"Whether or not you fancy him."
"But – what? I don't, I don't know!" Lily said frustrated.
"Okay, well you better think of something."
"Geez, that helps me so much, Remus!"
"You're lucky you're even getting this. By the way James can never find out we told you. Serious bro code violations."
"Seriously? Bro code?" Lily said raising an eyebrow.
"Hey! You called Remus, 'Remus'!"
"Her mum's name is Rosie and her dad's name is Johnathan."
"Oh. Have I ever told you that you're weird, Lily?"
"Nope."
"Well you are."
"Noted. I've gotta go if I'm gonna do the spell thing."
Lily ran the rest of the way to McGonagall's office and the professor was waiting for Lily to arrive. She was leaning on her desk with a severe expression of what seemed like worry on her face.
"Good Evening, Miss Evans. I trust you've practiced the way Professor Dumbledore and myself advised?"
"Yes, Professor McGonagall. I'm confident that I should be able to perform it correctly on Potter."
Professor McGonagall nodded, "Very well then, Mr Potter is waiting in the classroom across the hall. Once you go in you may start. Return to my office when you've completed. You'll need to write a written statement proving Mr Potter's innocence."
Lily nodded and left the large office. She crossed the hall and saw James pacing in the room.
"Took your time then," he accused and Lily rolled her eyes.
"I never know what to expect from you," she retorted, "Either you're exceptionally nice or you're a freaking pain in my backside!"
"Yeah, well the feeling's mutual."
"You ready then?"
"Wait. Before we start, I need to ask you something."
"I won't tell anyone what I've seen in your mind. I can do the Unbreakable Vow if you'd like."
"I trust you, Evans."
"Was that it then?"
James looked like he was about to say more but then his mouth closed and he nodded. Lily noticed his face was as pale as a sheet and she sighed.
"I'm not going to mess your brain up and I promise I won't judge your memories. I'll pretend I've never even seen them. I promise."
"Just start already."
Lily nodded. She pulled her wand out of her robe pocket and placed the end on James's right temple and placed her fingertips on his other temple so that the connection was like a voltage circuit. Lily's wand was the switch and the memories were pushed out of James's head and into Lily's through her hand and together they would be in James's head.
"Gemynda," Lily said confidently. A soft yellow glow appeared around the tip of her wand as it had in all her practicing and she smiled. The connection had been made. Then it started. She saw the first memory.
"We've been at this for hours," Peter said miserably, "I'm never going to get it!"
They were in some sort of shack. It was old and dusty with broken furniture and eaten blankets on the bed. The floor seemed to tilt and Lily was sure that if she were to place her wand on the floor it would roll down to the door. Lily figured they were in maybe fifth year because of James's haircut. It was the longest it had ever been.
"Hush," Sirius said, "You're becoming an animagus whether you like it or not."
"Come on, Peter. Concentrate," James said, "You can do it. Just focus. Stop telling yourself you can't. Sirius and I did it days ago. It's really not that hard."
Sirius glared at him and James amended his statement, "Okay, it's a little hard. But once we get the hang of it, it'll be so easy we can do it in our sleep. All you have to do is want it."
"But I'm scared. You guys said it hurt."
"Stop pressuring him. If he doesn't want to do it, he doesn't have to," Remus said coming out of nowhere. He looked tired with heavy bags under his eyes. He was holding a book open in his hand and showed it to Peter.
"It only hurts a little bit and it's only for the first few transformations. Come on Peter, don't you want to help Moony? We've been researching this for three years! You can do this!" Sirius encouraged.
"On the count of three," James said. "One."
"Two," Sirius continued.
"Three," they said together and suddenly Peter wasn't a man but a small, squeaky rat with a long tail. Wormtail, Lily realised suddenly.
Sirius, James and Remus cheered and jumped around high fiving each other and Lily still didn't understand why they had become animagi.
The memory changed and the Marauders were sitting in a room that Lily had never seen before. The walls were stone and so were the floors and it could be a classroom in the castle but it wasn't, at least none that Lily had seen before. Comfortable couches and bean bags littered around the room and the boys had sat around a small circular table. James was lounging in a red beanbag, ruffling his hair and playing with a stolen snitch. Sirius hogged up a small love seat, his legs hanging off the edge. Remus was sitting normally in an armchair and Peter was sitting on the floor, leaning on the table with a quill in his hand and a parchment on the table.
"So we've decided for next week's full moon?" Peter asked and they nodded. "So," he said and he started reading off the parchment. "We go to the Whomping Willow at around midnight under James's cloak. I'll turn into a rat and press the knot that disables it, then you two will transform and we'll go down the tunnel until we reach the Shrieking Shack where-"
"I'll already be a wolf and a full out monster. Are you sure you want to see me that way? I truly am horrible and hideous in that state."
"Shut up, Moony. We've all agreed deal with it. Continue, Wormtail."
"And then we hangout at the Shrieking Shack until morning with Moony. At seven, we leave and Moony will start turning back. We go back to the common room under the cloak again, careful to avoid Madam Pomfrey."
"All right then," Sirius said. "It's settled."
The boys were lounging around Remus who was in a hospital bed. He still had bags under his eyes but he looked better. More healthier somehow. His face had more colour and he seemed a little happier.
"That went brilliantly!" Sirius said and James hushed him in case Madam Pomfrey was lurking around. "But it was!"
"I'm so tired," Peter complained. "You're much larger as a wolf, Moony."
Remus laughed and agreed.
"You guys should get to class," Remus advised. "I'll be fine. I might even make it to afternoon classes. Get the homework for me will you."
"You're so lucky your missing Divination. If Professor Vates makes one more comment on the chances of me going on a date with Lily Evans, I think I'll kill myself!"
The boys roared with laughter and James wasn't pleased. He took his glasses off and rubbed his tired eyes. "This isn't funny. If Evans finds out... Merlin."
"At least it's good entertainment," Sirius commented and Peter sniggered.
"Yeah, for you!" James accused. "I'm just lucky she decided to do Arithmancy instead of Divination."
"I heard she started going out with Tobias Knighton from Ravenclaw," Peter said tactlessly and Sirius groaned. James's smile faded and Lily had the impression that his heart had somehow been chipped at.
"Wormtail, we weren't meant to tell him!"
James coughed. "Er, why, why not?"
"Because you're going to be unbearable until they break up," Sirius muttered looking out a window. Remus gave Peter an annoyed look and Peter just shrugged.
"You think they'll break up?"
"I don't know, Prongs," Sirius said wearily.
"Well, we'll just have to slaughter Ravenclaw in the next match. Do you reckon Bones will let me spark fireworks in the air if we win."
"Maybe. If the fireworks don't spell out, 'Go out with me, Evans?'" Sirius snorted and James frowned.
James was in sixth year in this memory. His hair was much shorter and Lily found it odd. His ears stuck out a bit and the messy arrangement of his hair sat odder than usual. He was sitting in the common room and Lily don't know how she knew but she knew it was because he was waiting for her.
Sixth year Lily walked out of the staircase that led to her dorm and waltz straight past James not even stealing him a glance whilst James just stared after her as though she was the sun. Present Lily's heart warmed.
"I can't keep doing this!" Allison Hopkins accused.
"Do what?" James retorted angrily. Lily assumed it was a little further into sixth year.
"I can't keep lying to myself and you shouldn't keep lying to yourself either. You love her."
"Who?"
"Oh, for the love of Merlin, James! Lily! Lily Evans! You're in love with her! It's so obvious. Your stupid mates keep making bets on when we'll break up because of her! And you just walk around lying to yourself and for a while I did too but enough is enough. We'll be talking and you'll just stop mid sentence to stare at her as she walks past and then you ask what I was saying. I can't do this anymore. We're over."
"Ha! They broke up!" Sirius yelled. "Everyone owes me a galleon!"
"Shut up, Padfoot, you git!" James barked.
"So who wants to bet how long it'll take for Evans and James to go on a date? Personally, I think next year."
Allison rolled her peppery eyes and said, "See what I mean? You and Lily are destined for each other. Everyone knows it. You two just haven't caught up to it yet."
"Ally," James said reproachfully.
"Deny it. Just try."
"I don't love Evans."
But he was looking at the floor and couldn't meet her eyes. Allison laughed softly. "It's okay. We had a good run. But now it's over. No need for screaming and crying. We had something, we tried, it died."
"You should write a poem."
"Git."
"Can I still copy Charms homework off you then?"
"We'll see."
James sat in the corner of a library watching Lily and Severus fight in whispers. He couldn't hear what they were saying but he didn't know why she was wasting her time with him. He heard him and some other Slytherins talking about joining Voldemort when they finish and becoming Death Eaters. It was truly sickening. Lily deserved better than a bloke who thought of her as less just because she didn't have 'pure' blood.
James stuck his wand out and threw a hex at Severus that made his hair go wet and soapy. He thought it could use a wash. Lily stifled a small laugh and then looked around for the culprit. James fixed his eyes on the open book in front of him and pretended to be reading the whole time. Severus left Lily alone in the library. James stole a glance at Lily again and thought she looked good. She had trimmed her hair a little shorter and done something to her eyes, they looked greener and it was a beautiful green, the colour of an exotic leaf or an emerald.
The memory changed again. It was a memory from this year. James looked pretty much identical as he did in present time. He was talking with Lily during their patrol and she was offering to help him and they were acting like friends. Lily already knew what had been said and how but now she found out how James felt during that time.
Something was beating in his stomach and he felt so nervous and so worried that he'd say or do the wrong thing. He had to force himself to stop looking at her and when he was he had to force himself to look away. Then he started feeling annoyed. Annoyed that she didn't like him in that way and all of a sudden he was brought back to reality. He started being snappy towards her because when Lily was nice to him it was harder and when she was angry at him it became a little easier. He wanted to punch something.
"You love her, don't you?" Sirius asked. They were sitting in their dorm the morning James had carried Lily up to sleep in their dorm.
James looked at Lily, frightened she would hear but she slept like death.
"I – no – I don't know."
"I think you do."
"I thought I was over it, you know, during the holidays."
"You always 'get over it' in the holidays."
"I don't know why, but every time I look at her, I just never want to stop and I can't shake it. It's impossible to shake. And it's infuriating. I could be with anyone else, someone who actually wants to be with me but I just can't get her out of my mind."
"I think she likes you."
"Don't mock me."
"I'm not!" Sirius defended. "I think she's starting to fancy you. I don't think she's realised though. She always asks about you and she, she cares and when you two start talking about something, it's impossible to make you stop. You guys, you flirt. I don't think it's intentional but it's there. I can see it."
"Don't fuck with me, Padfoot. You say that and I think that we'll live happily ever after. Don't mess with me."
"I'm just telling you what I see with my eyes."
James looked at Lily and wished he would have forever to look at her. But he didn't so he had to make up for lost time. She whimpered in her dream and James frowned.
"Do you think she's having a nightmare?"
"Oi!" Peter said poking his head in before Sirius could answer, "Let's go! You got me up at the crack of dawn. I want food at least."
"Shit, I forgot the cloak!" James shouted.
"Moony, will hide it," Sirius said, "But we've got to get in the castle before Madam Pomfrey comes!"
"What if Peter…?
"No! Let's go! You can go back later this morning. Just not now!" Sirius commanded. He grabbed James's arm and pulled him further towards the castle. James seemed to agree and shook of Sirius's hand and started bolting to the castle.
"Who's going to come with me?"
"Prongs I am so tired that I don't think I can ever move again," Sirius said and James rolled his eyes.
"I've that stupid essay to finish. You said you'd help."
"I can't, Wormtail. I've got to get the cloak," James explained. "Padfoot, pass the map. If I can't have the cloak, I at least need the map."
"Alright, alright."
Sirius handed James a piece of old looking parchment. Lily had never seen it before. James tapped it with his wand and said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," and writing and lines and dots appeared all over the map. Lily moved closer to James to peer over his shoulder at the map.
"Urgh, Evans is with Fortescue again in the greenhouse. What a truly horrible place to snog," James said and Lily went to whack him over the head but her hand just went straight through.
"Go get the cloak, you obsessed git."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm going."
James left the dorm and exited the common room. He headed for the closest exit to the Whomping Willow, checking the map regularly for teachers or nosy students. Before he left the castle he checked it again. Madam Pomfrey and Remus were in the hospital wing. Professor McGonagall was in her office. The only person he had to worry about was Professor Dumbledore who seemed to be roaming the castle for some unusual reason. James thought now or never and dashed to the tree. He quickly levitated a branch to press the knot and slipped into the passageway. He turned into a brilliant stag! His fur was short and a beautiful light brown with white circles around his eyes. His antlers were huge and a brilliant white colour. Lily didn't think she'd seen an animal so beautiful before. The stag ran down the passage way and somehow Lily managed to catch up to him, as though she were smoke being blown in that direction. When he neared the exit, he transformed back into himself. He slipped up into the dusty, dank room and grabbed something out from under a wardrobe, which had a very narrow gap between the floor and the wardrobe.
He slipped back into the tunnel and turned into a stag again, galloping down the passageway. At the end he turned back and threw the cloak over himself. He crept out and slipped back into the castle easily. He checked the map again and saw that a student named Mia Scott was in a bed near Remus with all the Heads of Houses and Professor Dumbledore there too. She must be extremely ill, James thought.
James went into a secret corridor and took the cloak off. He shoved it into his robe pocket, along with the map and made his way to the kitchens to grab a bite, but as he walked through the Entrance Hall he stopped at the sound of his name.
"Prongs!" Sirius called.
"I thought you were never going to move again," James said sourly at the sight of Sirius following Professor Slughorn along with their entire Potions class.
"There's been an attack on a muggle-born. She almost died. It happened this morning. Right outside Scrivens' office! Lucky too. She would've died if he hadn't performed that healing spell, you know the one where you say 'vulnera sanentur' three times."
"Oh, yeah. Lucky. Is she going to be alright?"
"I suppose. The teachers haven't really made a proper announcement."
"When do they ever? Everyone just knows. Gossip gets around this school faster than you can say 'secret'."
Lily broke the connection.