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To avoid further fooling around, here is the next part.
Chapter 7: Gathering the pack
Alone we can achieve so little, together we can achieve so much. - Helen Keller September 1, 1989; Platform 93/4, Kings Cross Station, London, England, Europe
The holidays to the sixth grade actually helped the young witch shake off her sadness and dejection and sent her into a veritable frenzy of euphoria. Just two days after arriving at Kings Cross, Lily received a letter with the promised photo of Olivia. Even though it still hurt, and she missed her friend and sister, Lily knew that this separation would not be forever. She had already sent Selene off with a letter to the former Hufflepuff to hear if moving to America was successful and well over. But the reason for the drastic change in mood came a good two weeks before the start of the new school year. For along with her Hogwarts letter and the booklist note enclosed as usual, she also found another and a gold badge with initials "HG". She unfolded the enclosed letter with hands trembling with excitement.
"Dear Miss Evans,
Prof. Dumbledore and I are pleased to inform you that, after extensive consultation with the entire faculty, we have selected you for the position of Head Girl for 1989 on the basis of outstanding character and exceptional academic achievement. On behalf of the entire college as well as the headmaster, I congratulate you and look forward to working with you and your male representative. Please find them in the Perfect cart on September 1. In the coming days, you will receive a list with the passwords for the different houses, which they will pass on to the respective trusted students.
We wish them continued happy vacations. Sincerely yours,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
A shrill cry of joy had torn through the silence of the otherwise quiet Sunday morning. The newly appointed head girl had danced wildly around her room and had hardly been able to contain her enthusiasm. She had spent the next few hours and days full of anticipation developing a schedule of everything she wanted to address with the student representatives. She had no answer to the question of who her male colleague would be. She had already heard that Prof. Dumbledore often put together rather unusual couples and she fervently hoped that it would not be one of the Slytherin pigs. But she dismissed this thought, even if he always preached about forgiveness and second chances and Lily disagreed with the headmaster, he was a person of great wisdom and good judgment. He would know what was right.
Lily had spent her last days before school started visiting her goddaughter, who was now one and a half years old. Ted and Andromeda had been very happy about the good news, and little Nymphadora had also changed her otherwise pink hair to a bright yellow color, spurred on by the happy mood.
So now, full of anticipation and excitement, she stood in the train station and said goodbye to her parents. Both hugged her with pride and care and wished her a good last school year. Petunia, who had come along reluctantly, was silent. Mr. Evans kept talking about the proudest moment of his whole life and how much his little princess had grown up after all. Her mother agreed with him and added that she was the proudest mother in the whole world. Lily broke away from her parents' embrace and turned to where Petunia had been standing, only to find that she was already strutting towards the exit. Visibly crestfallen by the ever-widening rift in her relationship with her sister, she gave her parents another cursory hug and then pushed her luggage cart through the barrier.
She finally arrived at the wagon of the students and headmasters, where she was surprised to find James with his family and Black. Black, no Sirius, seemed to be royally amused by James' situation. The words "you the head boy, that's the best prank I've ever seen..." wafted over to her. She stopped abruptly, could it really be true...he of all people...he who always acted so immature...; however, another part of her head said at the same time: ...He who looks so damn good in his Quidditch robes... She shook her head to collect herself. "Concentrate Lily, you can dream later" she reminded herself. So engrossed with herself she didn't notice that she was addressed several times by James.
"...Lily, Lily..." she came back to the world of reality and blushed
"Hey Lily, what are you doing here?" he asked again, his eyes sparkling with delight
"Hello Potter, Black. I'm here because I've been appointed Head Girl." She proudly explained
Black laughed again at the top of his lungs but was directly stopped by Mr. Potter with a slap on the back of the head "Sirius Black, act like an adult for once and not a six year old child, you'll be of age in two months so act like it..."
"Sorry auntie... but it's just too funny".
"Just ignore my nephew dear, I am Dorea, James's mother. Nice to meet you, the boys, but especially my son, have talked a lot about you. Maybe you can do what Charles and I have not been able to do... raise my nephew and him" she winked mischievously at Lily, who blushed again.
"MOM..." moaned James now red-faced himself "Auntie, really now"
Charles Potter now laughed uproariously "What did I always tell you boys, don't mess with her or women in general, you always get the short end of the stick" which in turn earned him a playful punch on the shoulder from his wife
A warning whistle sounded, and the two boys said goodbye to the Potters. Mr. Potter apparently couldn't resist showing off her son and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. Lily, meanwhile, was trying to heave her heavy suitcase into the carriage. She suddenly received help from a still red-faced James and a grinning Sirius. With a few hand movements, everything was inside the train, and the moment they got on, the doors slammed shut and the train began to move. For a moment there was an awkward silence, none of the three knew what to say. Sirius cleared his throat noisily and spoke "Alright, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone with your duties as Head Boy, don't do anything I wouldn't do Prongs I'll see you later, I'll be at Moony and
Wormtail's."
This sentence earned him a "Mimble Wimble" from Lily, and a stinging curse from James, whereupon he just raised his hands placatingly and tried to speak but made several slurred noises
"Shut up Sirius" came it from both of them, who avoided looking at each other
Sirius, still gesticulating wildly, quickly ducked out of the way as Lily raised her wand again threateningly.
"Sorry about Sirius. He has no tact," now came from James, rubbing his neck sheepishly.
"It's okay, you can't help what Black says...just don't understand what Marlene…"
She broke off
"Come we have a meeting to reach and no time to lose. Knowing you, you didn't worry about that during the holydays. "
"Oii, I've thought about one thing or another too Lily, just because I'm a little childish sometimes doesn't mean I don't take this seriously" it came back played indignantly
"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way…I"
"No all good, I can understand you, you know me as the prank king of Gryffindor, getting rid of that reputation now is difficult. But as you said come."
He grabbed Lily's suitcase and carried it towards the compartment, with the young woman visibly protesting. In the compartment, the Perfects of the four houses were already waiting for their Head Girl and Head Boy. The meeting consisted of exchanging pleasantries and greetings, passing on the passwords for the various houses, and organizing patrol schedules for curfew to assist the teachers. It was here that James proved that he had put quite a bit of thought into it and was instrumental in working it out. How he knew the individual routes and shortcuts so well, almost by heart, made Lily particularly curious. Like everyone in the upper grades, she knew that James and his friends had often explored the castle at night and planned their pranks, but she had not expected such a wealth of information. Something inside her stirred, a feeling of respect, and she began to see the boy of old with whom she had first shared the compartment in a completely new but thoroughly positive light. The meeting ended after an hour and a half and the two left to find their friends, but before James could enter his compartment, Lily held him back.
"You've really thought of something Potter, I'm mighty impressed. Your tone and behavior have really changed. Keep it up and someday you'll find someone for yourself."
James Potter was flabbergasted. Lily Evans, the beautiful angelic Lily Evans had complimented him. Was this a sign? He swallowed, it was now or never.
"Thank you, that really means a lot to me. I realized over the vacations that I haven't necessarily always acted like a Potter and acted more like the idiots from Slytherin. Sure, I still love pranks, but sometimes we went too far...that's what I realize now..." he shook his head as if to dispel a bad memory
"Lily…say would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me the next possible weekend?"
The witch's eyes grew big. Never in her life would she have though to consider these words from the mouth of James "I-play-everything-and-everyone-pranks" Potter. And then also the behavior from earlier...Could it really be true that Potter is finally growing up? But what was she supposed to do now? Turn down his invitation? Was that what she wanted? After he finally showed that he wasn't just the child-head she had thought him to be? Did he deserve a chance? Or was he just fooling her? She tilted her head and thought
"You don't hear this seriousness everyday James; but do you really mean it? Fine, I'll give you a chance. Show me that I'm wrong about you and that you're more than just a child and a bully and I'll go to Hogsmeade with you."
James blinked. He had almost expected a rejection. Then a smile spread across his face. In his excitement, he stepped up to Lily, hugged her tightly, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you, Lily, you won't regret it".
Lily's brain took a moment to process what was happening. She blushed once more and playfully slapped him on the shoulder "WOW, keep it light you chatterbox, I'm just starting to regret it again" James however realized that she wasn't too serious and was rather embarrassed. He let go of her and took a step back
"Sorry Lily, won't happen again".
A moment of awkward silence settled on the corridor
"Okay, I'm going to go find the others then, see you later James. And, James, stay like that, it suits you better than being the child-head." She turned around and walked at a leisurely pace down the aisle in search of Alice, Amelia, Marlene, and the others. She still couldn't get the kiss on her cheek out of her mind, and she hung on to it for the rest of the train ride. Her friends, especially Marlene, tried vehemently to find out what had happened, but they couldn't get a single word out of Lily. She merely blushed each time and mumbled something unintelligible. Something that had happened to her far too often that day if Lily had her way.
The next days and weeks flew by in a whirl of lessons, duties as head girl and meetings with her friends. During this time, she observed James closely; he had matured considerably and was no longer the child of old who terrorized everyone who didn't suit him. He had been replaced by a young man, still childish in parts, but mature, who took care of the needs of the school and still found time to play his tricks. The pranks, however, were not mean, bad jokes as they used to be, but well thought out laughs for everyone. Although they were still directed almost exclusively against the Slytherins, they were not as bad as they used to be. And so came October 31, 1989, and the first Hogsmeade weekend. She had made her decision. He had proven that he could be different and so she would give him a chance. But with that, she now faced a new dilemma: what would she wear? Marlene had recognized her obviously panicked look when Lily stood in front of her suitcase throwing out all the clothes and looking around for a solution.
"What are we doing Lilykins, are we on a date?" warbled the young Scotswoman "Marlene, you are my salvation. I need something to wear" it came back in panic "Take it easy, Lily. We'll figure it out. But first, tell me this: Who are we meeting with?"
"jms..." it came muttered, but Marlene's smile became predatory and her eyes sparkled, she now knew exactly who
"Can you repeat that Lily, I didn't get that?"
"You know exactly who...Yes, I'm going to Hogsmeade with James Potter, satisfied."
"More than that Lily...wait a second and put on what we got you for Christmas, the red sweater and those fancy jeans and your nice coat to go with it, I'll be right back..." and with those words she stormed out of the room
But Lily could hear her calling down to the common room, "AAAAAAAAALICE, you owe me a galleon. Lily is going out with Potter…"
The chaos to arise was pre-programmed with these words. A muffled sharp cry sounded from below and a heavy clatter of feet could be heard. In the blink of an eye, Olivia, Alice and Marlene were now standing in front of her, trying to squeeze her out and get more details. The buzz of voices was so great that the young witch couldn't understand a single sentence and instead concentrated on her task of finding the right clothes. Five minutes later, she was ready to venture into the lion's cage aka the common room. Once there, wide eyes gazed at her from all corners, apparently everyone had really noticed that Lily J. Evans was going to go on a date with James Charles Potter. She looked with reddened cheeks in the direction of the boys' dormitories from which a no less red-cheeked James now emerged. The two looked at each other for several seconds, neither quite knowing what to say. The giggles from their friends were of little help at that moment. Staring at each other and continuing to giggle, the two made their way to the entrance hall where Argus Filch, the caretaker, was checking the names of those who wanted to go down to the village. However, the entire hall paused as the two walked together toward the crowd. If Severus Snape's eyes could have spoken, they would have screamed bloody murder. He had visibly tensed up at the sight presented to him. His thoughts raced around the one thought, what on earth was his Lily doing with Potter!
Since neither had broken through the styles yet, Lily ventured first:
"You, James, why is everyone staring at me like an apparition? Is something wrong?" "So...how should I say…" Started the addressed to speak hesitantly
"Yeah, what's James?"
"Alright, but don't be mad at me, I'm just echoing what others are saying…They didn't
think you would even date anyone, let alone guys and more to then me. When everyone knows that we are actually in each other's hair all the time."
Lily laughed heartly "And what else was I supposed to do, mmm? Not date anyone at all? Become the eternal virgin of Hogwarts? Provoke a scandal by asking a girl out?"
When he remained silent and did not reply, she grabbed his hand and spoke:
"Sorry Potter, but you're all wrong. As you can see for yourself, I'm with someone right now."
The tension that had built up in both of them dissipated and they made their way out to the castle grounds. They left the looks of the crowd behind and were caught only in this moment that existed for the two.
The two spent the trip to Hogsmeade describing their families to each other. James learned that Lily had an older sister and that Lily's family was at home in Cokeworth. In turn, she learned that James was an only child and that the family was from the Gloucestershire region. That was where the family had their ancestral home. James described this as a beautiful place near the coast with fantastic views of the west coast of England. Lily was immensely envious of this description of the area where she lived; back home in Cokeworth there were no picturesque landscapes, just abandoned colliery factories and spoil heaps. Nothing to be overly proud of and call aesthetic. To cheer her up, James suggested that she might just pay him a visit. He had noticed that Lily had been particularly attentive at the mention of beach, coast, and sea. Her eyes, shining with joy, told him that he had chosen the right words, even if he would then have to put up with his mother's teasing. Once in the village, they strolled along the familiar streets of the settlement and by now had strayed to favorite subjects. What surprised Lily was that James named the subject of transformation, although he had the most detention there. He already had an answer for why, his mother was good friends with Prof. McGonagall, and he firmly believed that his mother was the only reason why he was always stuck with McGonagall. When asked what interested him most about transformation, he did not answer directly, but smirked as if at a joke known only to him and then said
"I will tell you in due time, after all, a wizard must have his secrets"
Which of course only piqued Lily's curiosity all the more, she even went so far as to use her puppy dog eyes on him, but James stood firm. Even if under great hesitation
Lily, in turn, told of her love for magic, but also ancient runes. Her eyes lit up with excitement as she spoke of the various symbols of lost cultures, their meanings, and effects. She told him how she was able to read the different signs without much difficulty and how she would like to learn more about this part of magic. James' gaze was directed at her beautiful face the whole time during this monologue. Lovingly he looked into her green eyes, and he forgot the whole world around him. Lily felt the same way, while she was telling the whole time she couldn't take her eyes off him. Those gentle, calm eyes had something attractive, magical...He hadn't interrupted her once or tried to change the subject, instead he encouraged her, asked questions when she took a breath.
Both felt around noon, the need to eat something and so they agreed on the Three Broomsticks. Once there, James proved that he could indeed be a gentleman by helping Lily out of her coat and pushing her chair. The topics during the meal ranged from hobbies during the vacations to favorite animals to later career ideas after Hogwarts.
Lily told him that one of her favorite animals was a deer and that whenever she was near a forest, she felt connected to it. Her next favorite animal that shared space with the deer was a wolf. Even though she had only seen them at the zoo, she found these animals extremely majestic and fascinating. James' eyes grew wide, he beamed, admitting that his favorite animal was also a deer.
James told her that he was torn between becoming a master in transfiguration or pursuing his desire for justice and joining the Aurors. "I definitely don't want to just sit around and do nothing just because I'm a Potter. That's exactly why I want to make a difference and create the world a better place. I admire my grandfather who went to war against Grindelwald and the Nazis, my great-grandfather who chose to support the Muggles in the Great War, even though it cost us Potters the rank of Saint 28.
They have always stood up for the weak and I want to do the same. I want to protect those who cannot defend themselves..." deeply moved he broke off
"My goodness James when you talk...I definitely recognize the passion and desire. That is...very admirable and honorable. When I hear it like that it moves me deeply, you know how to captivate a girl. I always thought you would get into Quidditch, I really didn't expect that. But I have a question, why do you play so many pranks at school then?"
"How shall I say Lily, the pranks were in large part my way of doing things to protect the weak. The people I played pranks on usually annoyed the younger ones or really terrorized them...I wanted to expose them and give everyone a chance to have a laugh, Sirius and the others thought it was a pretty good idea and so one thing led to another...we often overshot the mark though and lost sight of it too, still it's something I wouldn't give up. We didn't really think about our actions back then and just did it and thought it was all super cool...something could have happened so many times, I really realized that over the summer when I got the badge."
"I...Wow, that was...really...insightful. Until today, I had just thought that it was just a childish phase where you and the others became bullies and thought it was funny to humiliate people. I didn't think it was so much different. I like that kind of thing about you."
"You see Lily, I'm far more than just what did you once call me a "childish idiot" aren't I? But what about you, what do you want to be when you grow up?" he laughed.
"And you still are James, but you're a lovable childish jerk, in a good way. If you had acted like that before, I would have taken the date with you sooner too. I'm not going out with a stubby bully I don't find guys like that attractive. I would like to attain my charms mastery later and specialize in creating protective wards, or at least go in that direction. I find these aspects of magic incredibly exciting and would love to leave my mark there."
"That really sounds like you Lily. Always inquisitive about something new. I don't know if you've heard of them, but there are people in the Ministry who do this sort of thing. They're called the Unspeakables. While no one really knows exactly what they're researching, it's all top secret after all, but it would fit you."
"Oh how cool, that sounds really interesting...I could really imagine that. This top secret, it sounds like James Bond. "
"Who is James Bond?" asked James now insecurely and also a little jealously
Lily laughed at his sweet way of being jealous and started telling him about the spy movies with its charming main character. She described the events of some movies "Moonraker" or "the Man with the Golden Gun". James visibly calmed down, realizing now that there was another James in Lily's life. The movies, or as it was called, sounded like good entertainment, and reminded him of a pensive. Maybe he and the others could try something like that, it certainly didn't sound bad.
They spent the rest of the meal talking about music. Lily, who had never come into contact with music of the magical community before her life at Hogwarts, still found this kind of music hard to get used to. It was the same for James in reverse, Muggle artists like Madonna were foreign to him. The two decided without further ado to play their favorite songs for each other. James paid for the meal and the two of them went back to exploring Hogsmeade together. Hand in hand, they walked through the village. For both of them it felt right, time didn't matter. They were in their own world. They laughed together, teased each other constantly and kept stepping towards each other, looking for each other's closeness, but neither of them dared to take a step further. The visiting time for Hogsmeade was coming to an end, the sky was slowly turning red and golden. They stood on a hill a little way from Hogsmeade near the shrieking Shack, enjoying the last rays of the sun. Lily had her head leaning on James's shoulder and he had an arm wrapped around her. They both listened to the sounds of the dawning evening. Until finally it was the young witch who broke the silence:
"James, it was a wonderful day, and I would love to do it again and get to know you better. But I have a request for you, please take it down a notch with your pranks especially against the Slytherins and Sev...Snape, I don't find that attractive about you."
He turned his head to look into her eyes and gently pressed her against him.
"Lily, I thought it was a wonderful day too, I definitely want to do it again and get to know you even better. You showed me once again today why I find this beautiful, intelligent, and fiery redhead so attractive. And there's still so much I'd like to learn about you, I…want to go together again next time? I promise you that I will do better. But for now, let's enjoy this moment."
Their heads tilted toward each other, and they closed their eyes. Their hearts raced and yet beat in the same beat. Their lips touched and they shared their first kiss together. A shockwave of emotions ran through them for what felt like an eternity they remained tightly embraced. Time, surroundings and duties, rules had lost all meaning. For both only this moment counted. The sun had set completely when they detached themselves from each other and looked at each other with reddened cheeks. Neither of them knew quite what to say, they were still too caught up in the previous moment. It was finally James who took Lily's hand and spoke:
"Come let's go back to the castle, the feast starts later and it's getting cold. I don't want you to get sick Lily Flower".
"Alright, James...it's so nice here right now...but you're right. And I would hate to get in trouble from Prof. McGonagall...We of all people should be setting an example for everyone else. And what did you just call me? Lily-flower?"
"It suits you. The most beautiful lily there is. Trouble from the McGonagall I would like to avoid, I can think of something nicer at the moment."
They had now arrived on the path up to the castle. Above them the first stars were shining, and the moon was just beginning to rise. Lily stopped and held back her date
"And what might that be James?"
"Spending more time with you would be the first thing that comes to mind..."
She leaned forward and gave him a fleeting kiss on the mouth
"Good answer. Let's go up to the castle, then, because I feel the same way," and she now pulled him toward the school gate.
They reached the stone gargoyles last and passed the gate that closed behind them. Since they still had to change for the festival and wear their cloaks, they made their way up to the common room. They were able to ignore the stares until they reached the common room, but when they entered, Marlene rushed toward them.
"Lily, you have to hurry we have to get down to the feast right away. Come I'll help you"
And before she could contradict or say anything to James, thank him for the really nice day, she was already dragged away by an energetic Marlene.
Once in the girls' dormitory, Lily was interrogated not only by Marlene, but also by Alice, Olivia, and the others. However, since they all talked wildly, Lily received only scraps of the actual questions.
"Now don't keep us waiting..." "How was it?!..."
"What did you do?" "Did you kiss?"
Lily blushed at the last question and her thoughts returned to the moment. A dreamy expression settled on her face.
"Oh man, she totally got it."
"Lily? Liilllyyy? Lily-lily? Are you still there?"
"Oh sorry, I just got distracted, T'sorry Olivia." Smiled Lily She continued with a teasing undertone
"And before Marlene can't even take it anymore. It was really nice. We strolled around the village together and talked a lot and got to know each other better. We didn't go to Madam Puddifoot because it was too tacky for me, but well...where was I...oh yes...right then we stopped into the Three Broomsticks for lunch. James was a real gentleman...and we ended up watching the sunset near the Shrieking Shack." She was blushing even more now, if that was even possible "he then held me in his arms and then...we kissed."
"Oh my God?!"
"Give me my money Olivia" "That sounds really nice" "Are you meeting again?!"
"Yes, we will meet each other again, as long as James doesn't turn into an idiotic child again. It felt great to be held by him,"
Lily admitted.
To wriggle out of the awkward interrogation of her friends, she began to change more quickly than usual and in no time at all she had put on her festive clothes, which consisted of a black cape and dark pants. She grabbed the black pointed hat that was mandatory on days like Halloween and was about to head out the door when she was stopped again.
"Lily, where are you going in such a hurry again?"
"In quite a hurry to get back downstairs?! Is he waiting for you there?"
"YES Marlene, I am in a hurry, I am the head Girl, and I should be the least to arrive late for the banquet. Are you coming? I'd hate to get a telling off from McGonagall."
"Yeah, yeah it's alright"
Amid more teasing, Lily and her friends made their way down to the feast in the great hall.
In the Great Hall, to the surprise of many of her classmates, Lily did not sit down next to her friends away from the Potter boy as usual but dropped into the seat next to James Potter and smiled at him. Her friends sat down with Lily, but immediately began giggling. Immediately, lively whispering began and many of her classmates from the other houses craned their heads to get a better look at Lily. But the redhead skillfully ignored the gawking looks and turned to James with amusement.
"You know what? I never thought I'd be so interesting that everyone would contort themselves to look at what I was doing?"
Before he could answer, however, Marlene interrupted him.
"Lily, you forget that you've been in the hair with your lover boy here for years, and now the complete opposite has happened. Well, that's not exactly true. At least not the way your hair looked after our head boy here kissed you."
Lily's face color was remarkably similar to her hair color as she playfully slapped Marlene's arm
"Oi, you blabbermouth. Don't start spreading rumors about us now. I'll never tell you anything else."
"So, is it true you and James really kissed?" now asked, Faye, a sixth grader from Gryffindor
Both of them became even redder than before, but Lily could see that James' face was adorned with a proud smile.
"Don't let it go to your head, Potter, or it will be your last kiss." To which the latter nodded eagerly
"Good" and she gave him a fleeting kiss on the cheek
Even at the teachers' table, the rumors had already spread. It was not uncommon for Head Boy and Head Girl to fall for each other, and had happened many times in the past, but many of the faculty found it amusing that it had just come about between Lily Evans and James Potter. Both had been highly different in their early days, but they had moved on. Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, and he beamed. Love among young people always warmed his heart and especially in dark times like these, such stories were always especially beautiful to watch.
Severus Snape's eyes narrowed to slits and he swore. How dare this runaway Gryffindor boy from Potter ask his Lily out on a date and kiss her. Lily was supposed to be by his side, not by this blood traitor and mudblood friend. He needed to talk to his Lily, show her that people like Potter were the wrong side of people. He was sure she would come to her senses.
The banquet was a noisy and cheerful affair. There was much laughter, jokes were told and jokes were made. During the cheerful atmosphere, Lily had laid her head on James' shoulder and closed her eyes. She was enjoying the mood and the company of her friends and was just happy and content. She had spent a wonderful day and the evening had also been to her complete satisfaction except for Marlene's and Alice's teasing. Later as she lay in bed reviewing the day's events, she couldn't suppress a smile and fell asleep with it. James had wished her a good night, thanked her again for the beautiful day, and had yet to give her a kiss on the cheek.
Over the next few days and weeks, the residents of the castle could observe one change in particular. The group of boys around James Potter now also had female members. Lily Evans and her friend Marlene could now be observed more and more often in the company of James Potter and Sirius Black. Something that some girls, but especially many boys visibly resented. Especially the male inhabitants of the castle seemed to realize that the most desirable and charming girls of the school seemed to be taken.
The number of pranks played by the Marauders had also taken a visible nosedive. If pranks were still played, they were mostly humorous and elaborate pranks against the entire school and not against a specific group of students as before. Professor McGonagall had already approached the group several times and had told them off with the words
"Don't you dare corrupt Ms. Evans, Mr. Potter" threatened which in turn had caused amusement on all sides.
Lily for her part had only one goal in mind at the moment she wanted to learn more about the mysterious hint James had given her during their first visit to Hogsmeade together and solve the mystery. But even though she had all the tricks up her sleeve that Olivia, Marlene, and Alice said would work one hundred percent of the time, each time her boyfriend would block it out and start talking about something else. In desperation, she had even asked Andromeda and Ted for advice on how to convince James, but her sister Andy's tips had also been unsuccessful. Nevertheless, she was happy about the reports about her goddaughter. Nymphadora was now two years old and growing faster and faster. The little one could now use her Metamorphmagus talents to her advantage, depending on her mood, to get her way with her father. Lily had laughed so much about these lines of Andromeda.
It was shortly before the next full moon when she finally succeeded and James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter finally caved in and shared their secret with her. She had already noticed that the four of them always behaved differently than usual at the full moon, especially because they had played fewer pranks than usual in the past. So one evening she was sitting in the common room in the armchairs by the fireplace when her boyfriend approached her with a mischievous smile. In the past, she would have taken flight from him, but now she knew that he was up to no good but wanted to show her something that he was visibly proud of.
"Hey Lily flower, are you busy? Or do you have a minute?"
"Hey James, nah I'm just going through my 2nd grade herbology papers for the N.E.W.T.s, so nothing earth shattering. What's up?"
"Great, then I'm going to kidnap you for a moment. I want to show you something. The four of us have thought about it for a long time and you've asked me so many times now that I've got a guilty conscience..."
Lily's complete attention was immediately focused on her friend
"I am all ears oh my boyfriend"
"Not here, we're going to take a little tour of the castle first".
"All right. For one thing, I'm through with the stuff anyway, and for another, when my so lovable boyfriend asks me to go for a walk, I can't very well say no, especially when it comes to his deepest secret. But I warn you James Potter, your grandiose idea better not be a broom closet..."
"No, it won't end up in a broom closet though last time was..." he broke off and ducked as he dodged a Bat-Bogey Hex
"James Charles Potter..." Lily's face was visibly flushed, whether with embarrassment or anger was hard to tell
"Okay, Okay...just kidding..."
"Well, I hope you have learned your lesson about such jokes, you know I don't find such things funny..."
"Yes, it's alright Lily flower. I'll make it up to you..."
The two rose and strode through the portrait hole of the Fat Lady. Hand in hand they strolled through the corridors, now so familiar to them, and enjoyed the togetherness. Lily was wondering where their path would lead them when they entered an extremely rarely traveled corridor on the sixth floor and headed for an empty classroom. James, dramatic gentleman that he was, held the door open for her and bowed deeply to her, saying
"Welcome Lily...To the Nest of the Marauders."
Inside the classroom, she saw how the chairs and tables had been moved to the walls, with a few exceptions. On a table, which had probably once belonged in the potion laboratory, stood near a window. A cauldron, from which it steamed and bubbled, stood on it. Around it stood the bent backs of Remus and Sirius, feverishly stirring the brew. Peter saw them dozing on a chair in the corner.
"Okay James, although I am flattered that you invited me to your secret clubhouse, I wonder. What's the point and what does it have to do with the fact that a deer is your favorite animal! I don't want any more excuses now my dear!"
"Ahhh Evans, how nice it is to hear your delicate little voice, isn't it Moony? I thought Prongs had lost his way with you to another place" came Sirius with a giggle.
"Black, what in the name of the gods are you doing with Remus there? And why do you always call James Prongs?! And don't you dare dodge it, I'll sic Marlene on you. You know how persuasive she can be "
"Easy Lily, what Sirius and I are doing here has everything to do with the things you mentioned and the fact that I'm "
"That you have your furry monthly problem…how many times do we have to tell you
Remus you are not a monster…"
"Remus...what did I tell you then…"
"Okay, Okay. that's enough, now before we start arguing about Moony's monthly
doubts I'll explain to you Lily-Flower what this is all about."
At these words, James' figure disappeared and in its place was a large stag with antlers. Lily gasped. Could it be that…no James would have informed Professor
McGonagall...but he had broken rules before...
With tentative steps, she walked up to the deer and reached out and touched the animal's head. "Wow...James...that...that…that's breathtaking." The deer trembled
as her hand passed over it, caressing its flank, and a low roar had emanated from it. She took a step back and in awe she gazed at the beastly form of her friend. A big shaggy black dog joined the stag and sniffed at it, then suddenly it began to bark wildly and wag its tail. Lily watched the spectacle for a few more moments, until she turned to Remus.
"I don't understand, what does the Animagus transformation have to do with the fact that you are a werewolf? Not that I don't find it impressive and now understand your nicknames."
James, who had now changed back, answered her. But for some reason his face was tomato red "Well, this is how we keep Moony company during his transformations. We couldn't as humans, the werewolf in Moony would attack and hurt us, but not as animals.
Padfoot and I are big enough to keep Moony at bay should the situation call for it."
"That's why you were always so tired after the full moon...You stayed up all night, snuck out of the dorm and went gods knows where to Remus...But how did you do it? It takes years to become an Animagus and you're not even done with school, not to mention you'll probably go down in school history with the most detentions..."
"Evans, it may surprise you, but we are thoroughly capable students when we are interested and on fire for something. Ever since we knew Moony had his furry problem, that is since our first year we've been looking for a way to help him, third year McGonagall..."
"Professor McGonagall..."
"…told us about Animagus and in defense the Brown told us what a werewolf becomes aggressive against. Moony did not know about our plans until the time we mastered the transformation...It was quite a big shock for him...It took us two years, partly because we did not have the necessary knowledge in potions and partly because we were too young, and our magic was still too chaotic..."
"I…Wow...Sirius, I am deeply impressed...I will address you as Sirius from now on and not Black...you have earned that much respect...that is, unless you act like a childish retard…"
"Thank you Lilykins" which promptly earned him a venomous look
"What kind of animal is Peter?" turned Lily back to her friend
"He can turn into a little rat, damn useful to clear the way to Moony's moon nest. You
have to know, the Whomping Willow guards the entrance to make them freeze, you have to press a certain point, since Padfoot and I are too big for that, Peter was made for the job…"
"I don't know what to say James...I am seriously impressed with the performance.
Not many wizards try to become an Animagus first, that's quite a bit of magic…What
WERE YOU THINKING? DON'T YOU KNOW HOW MUCH COULD HAVE GONE WRONG, YOU COULD HAVE DIED OR BEEN STUCK AS HALF HUMAN HALF
ANIMAL FOREVER…" But, before Lily could really get going with infamous Evans
tirade James silenced her with a quick kiss.
"I know Lily...But the alternative wouldn't let us do it any other way. Moony has been alone on enough full moons and never has company during the transformation...We're his friends, so we couldn't let him down. And nothing happened, everything went well…And this thing has taught us so much more and we've learned so much…maybe not what is asked in class, but what has made us the Marauders we are today; so much about the lands. Come and see…"
With these words, James pulled a large sheet of parchment from his pocket and spread it out on a nearby table. Lily had seen this sheet many times before with the boys and had wondered many times what it might be about. He took his wand from the pocket of his cloak and tapped gently on the parchment, speaking in a solemn voice:
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
"Really now James...is this supposed to be some kind of..."
But she immediately fell silent because something was happening on the sheet. Fine lines and blobs of ink seemed to spread out and fill the entire sheet. Within seconds, the whole sheet had filled in and Lily could clearly see the words:
"Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs
Suppliers of tools for magic troublemakers Present you proudly,
THE Marauders Map"
Lily looked at the parchment, no, the map carefully. It seemed to show the entire castle and lands. As she looked further, two things caught her eye: first, inkblots were moving on the map, and second, the map showed paths that Lily didn't know and had never seen, but still seemed to exist. Some led off the map towards the village of Hogsmeade The inkblots that moved were labeled with names, she could see that Professor Dumbledore was apparently in the staff room with some teachers. She was completely dumbfounded, she had thought that the process of becoming an Animagus was already impressive, she found this elaborate combinations of various charms far more impressive...it was hard to believe that the four boys had come up with this idea in their spare time and at this point had barely tackled their O.W.L.s...She looked at the boys with completely different eyes, they were now no longer just childish and good-for-nothings but serious wizards in the field of charms and transfiguration.
"Prongs I think you broke your adorable girlfriend" grinned a wide grinning Sirius
"Shut up Pads..." "Lilykins?"
"I...wow...you already surprised me once today with the Animagus transformation and left me speechless...but I really didn't expect such an elaborate thing...But I have a question: I understand how you were able to explore the castle piece by piece, but I never really saw you on the lands, how did you..." Remus's guilty smile made her groan
"Please don't tell me you explored the lands during the full moon..." "Okay we won't tell you..." it came promptly from the three of them
Lily moaned again, and she felt the headache she had suppressed so far at the boys' story return with increased intensity.
Still, she was unsure why she had been led here by James and why the boys had let her in on their secret, surely not just to impress her...
"Okay but why are you showing and telling me all this? What about Sirius? Why isn't Marlene here I thought you two were getting closer?"
"Well, Marlene, she…" began Sirius extremely hesitantly and somewhat embarrassedly.
"She already knows, we inducted her yesterday and she'son board" James concluded for him
"Ah okay…wait a minute with what on board? What are you guys up to now?"
"Well, that's so...we...I…" he began to stammer
"What James wants to ask you, once he gets his facial muscles back under control, is if you want to join us? Become an Animagus?" Sirius now spoke in a voice unusually serious from him
Lily was flabbergasted. She hadn't expected this turn of events when she got up this morning. She had known that her boyfriend and his buddies were always sneaking out at night and doing all kinds of childish stuff, but with something like this…Did she, could she, approve of something like this and even support it? Her first reaction, the voice of her sense of duty to follow the rules, was to laugh and then refuse, but in the second moment she thought about the offer, it was quite tempting no question, but all the rules and even laws she would break. But so, she could also be there for Remus and stand by him, as she had promised him back then…For several moments a fierce battle of her personality raged inside her, finally the side that stood up for her friends and would move heaven and hell to support and protect them won. But first she wanted to know if Marlene had accepted the offer.
"James, Sirius, Remus I am really honored that you shared all of this with me and want to give me a chance to be a part of it. That said, I am interested but have one more question for you Sirius: what decision did Marlene make?"
Her boyfriend's features visibly relaxed and a broad smile stole onto his face. He stepped up to her, took her in his arms and kissed her. At that moment, Lily knew she had made the right decision. Something deep inside her relaxed and warmth, affection and love embraced her. A clearing of the throat brought the two back to reality.
"If you're going to ask a question little fire head you need to give me a chance to answer it and not make out your boyfriend's brains at the first opportunity" Sirius sneered.
"Don't call me little firehead, you have no right to do that…the right has only and only…" she broke off in a choked voice, caught up in sad memories
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. To answer your question, yes Marlene has also accepted our invitation. She is already waiting to begin the first step of the Animagus transformation process. She will join us in a moment that we will begin..."
"Fine. Don't ever call me that again...it opens up old wounds, as I'm sure you can understand...And how exactly does one become an Animagus?"
James answered her immediately. His voice had taken on a tone of Professor McGonagall when she explained something in class. However, this serious tone was visibly undermined by his broad grin
"Now first and foremost Miss Evans, let's wait for Miss McKinnon to join our illustrious panel..."
As if on cue, the door opened and a cheekily grinning Marlene strutted into the classroom, letting the door fall shut so violently that Peter, who had still been dozing, startled up and fell off his chair. When the booming laughter of the four boys and a cackling Marlene had died down and several muttered curses had been uttered by Peter, James continued.
"Now Miss Evans, Miss McKinnon, we will do the first step. Mr. Padfoot, the mandrake leaves please, they are in the box for preparation."
"With pleasure, Mr. Prongs..."
"The first step will be that we will stick said leaf on the palate of both of you. This part is critical for the transformation because the leaf must not be taken out and used until the right time. From one full moon to the next. During this time, the Amato Animo Animato Animagus spell must be repeated daily. When doing so, the tip of the wand must be pointed at your heart. On the NEXT full moon, the leaf must be spat into a vessel while illuminated by the moon's rays. The jar with the mandrake leaf is then used to complete the Animagus Potion, for this we also need a couple of hairs from you, we will do the rest. The potion is consumed during a thunderstorm. In the time leading up to the storm, you will repeat the spell at sunrise and sunset. It is important to recite the spell without any mistakes. When the thunderstorm takes place, you will come here drink the potion and recite the spell one last time while reciting the wand...This all sounds super complicated now…But don't worry, we will go through
every single step with you and help you so that nothing goes wrong…any questions?
Or concerns? There's still time to decline…"
The two witches looked at each other. In Marlene's face, the redhead could see some worry and a hint of fear. But she was no different. This wasn't a small matter that could be fixed with a little excuse to Madam Pomfree. If something went wrong, questions would be asked, not only by the school, but also by the ministry. If they were caught, they were sure of a trip to Azkaban... And yet the possibility of getting to know each other in a way that would probably bring them even more into harmony with themselves was extremely tempting. Lily asked herself what kind of animal she would become if she dared to take this step, and she also asked herself what kind of animal Marlene would become. In retrospect, the Animagus fit Sirius, for example, like a glove. He was playful, childish, and could be very rebellious, yet he was more loyal than any other person Lily had met so far. The dog as his Animagus was a perfect fit. Her thoughts returned to her and the decision she would have to make by tomorrow. Should she dare? Did she want to dare? Yes, she did and would dare. She had decided that if the boys had made it when they were younger than her, then she would make it too. If only to keep her kind, if rash at times, reckless boyfriend in check and under control. She would also be able to help Remus, as she had promised him. Her eyes shifted back to Marlene, who was just opening her eyes and taking a deep breath. She looked into Lily's eyes. Her look spoke of determination and of suppressed joy.
"All right, I've thought it over. I'm in. If only to keep an eye on you oh boyfriend and make sure you don't do anything stupid and put Remus in any kind of situation that could be dangerous for everyone involved here and for others."
"I'm with you, Lily. It's time for the boys to come under female supervision. No kidding. I'm in too. For one thing, because now I want to find out what kind of animal I'm going to be for another thing, if you made it Siri, then as your girlfriend I can't be left behind."
"Genius" "Cool"
"I'm glad you're doing it Lily-flower. I was afraid for a moment that it would push you away from me and I'd mess up with you as a result."
"No, you wouldn't have…Rather the opposite Potter, I find this side of you quite attractive. You the hardworking student who does everything for your friends to help them. Not always the cocky Quidditch star and arrogant prankster."
"Siri, the same thing Lily said to James applies to you and me. YOU showed me something yesterday, that you were worth it, that we have been courting each other for half a year and that I am not, as Lily had always said in the beginning, chasing after an idiot who enjoys making others look ridiculous. But someone who is so serious about the well-being of his friends that he takes on something so difficult".
"Marli, you're forgetting one thing, I'm Sirius…" began Sirius, grinning broadly, to
which everyone else equally rolled their eyes and sighed.
"…But I'm glad I was able to show you that I'm more than, the boy Evans still sees in me. I would have missed you in my life otherwise."
At these words, slight choking sounds came from Peter and Remus, coughing a bit of phlegm, but it was obvious to both that they were pleased. James, in that time, had pulled Lily into a hug, which the redhead leaned into. Marlene and Sirius on the other hand, looked into each other's eyes for a short time, kissed and Sirius wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. They stayed like that for a few minutes, each of them thinking their own thoughts, until Remus announced that he was going to bed, because he needed every minute of sleep before the next full moon. The others also agreed and went to the door when Lily asked what she considered to be the essential question of the evening.
"James, before we go, how does this work now? Will Marli and I meet you back here tomorrow or what's the plan?"
"Right. We'll meet back here tomorrow after class, and we'll get started."
She nodded and so the six Gryffindors made their way to their common room, which was now almost empty. James and Lily sat down together in an armchair by the fire and enjoyed the last few minutes of the evening together. As Lily climbed into the dormitory with Marlene in tow, she couldn't help but fall asleep with a smile.
The next day came and Lily felt rested and relaxed. Nevertheless, she was very excited despite all of Marlene's attempts to calm her down. The lessons dragged on endlessly for her and even in charms, she felt that Professor Flittwick was making the lesson particularly tough. A ringing. The school bell. At last. She barely noticed as she gathered her things and shouldered her bag and strode out the door. The way to the nest of the Marauders seemed longer than usual. With a pounding heart, she opened the door. Inside she found the others already sitting or, in James' case, standing. On the table beside him were two small wooden boxes. She looked at her friend. Marlene was also excited and nervous, that much was certain. James looked at her, concern spreading across his face.
"Lily, hey, you...I…I just wanted to tell you, you can still say no if you're unsure or scared. I feel like I'm forcing you into something you're scared of and that's the last thing I want...I…we...me...I just wanted you to know that. It's important to me that you make this decision freely and not...oh god this is hard...you are incredibly important to me, and I don't want to hurt you…"
"James, you worry way too much…Yes I am excited and nervous and yes the consequences scare me...if something goes wrong it's over. But that's a good thing too. It makes me focus better on really making the transformation. You are also incredibly important to me and in the time since our first date you have grown very close to my heart and I have come to love you what I want to say is if you can do it my heart...then I can do it too let's do it" she gave him a quick kiss and sat down on the chair next to Marlene
"Okay Lily, open your mouth for once and stick your tongue out to the roof of your mouth." Warbled Sirius
He grabbed the box and opened it
"Prongs, if you would be so kind…I believe that my friend and yours would appreciate you doing the honors".
An eye roll and a half-heartedly placed kick later, James stood in front of her, holding the mandrake leaf in his hand
"Okay...wait...just a minute…" She felt him place the leaf under her tongue
"Epoximise"
She felt the leaf sticking under her tongue
"Okay, that's it, step one is done. So, there shouldn't be any difficulties with it, and it shouldn't lead to him having to try again three times like Peter did..."
Whereupon a "HEY" was heard
"Yeah-Yeah Peter, we all know how much you liked to eat the leaves..."
"Hey, you it also happened twice, so don't play the headteacher here..."
"Okay...continue with the text...take the wand to your heart and say the formula
"...Amato Animo Animato Animagus...how do I know it all worked out?"
"After a certain time you start dreaming in your sleep, the more you apply the formula the stronger and clearer these dreams become...still I didn't know what animal I was until the last application of the spell…The dreams, they are confusing, but you feel
the nature and essence of the animal you turn into…"
"Siri, and now what do we do in the meantime…well apart from repeating the spell I
mean. Do we need to do anything special?"
"Glad you reminded me Marli, Yes, we need some more hair from you for the potion. Don't worry, we won't use it for Polyjuice Potion…"
"After the statement, I am so reassured Black."
"Hey, I'm not that bad...besides that I have a girlfriend, if you forgot Evans. "
"BLAAAACCKKKK…"
"SIRI I'm warning you…WHEN I EVEN FEEL THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING WRONG..., you know I get it all…"
"Enough…"
"Yeah, it is enough now. I will lie down now still something, tonight becomes strenuous enough…Do you come with to the common room? The potion is ready now and just needs to stand in the dark until you need it."
Yes, we are all coming. Ohh, crap... I promised Alice to help her with runes".
"Oh boy Evans, how can you think homework right now…"
"Siri, not everyone is as lazy as you and makes them at the last minute…"
"Black, how about something called diligence, doesn't hurt at all and would do you good, I'm sure Marli will be happy to show you how."
"Hey, why is everyone always against me?"
"Lily, why are you dragging me into this now...I was on your side after all…"
"This is for your chat with Olivia…"
"WHHHHAAAATTTT, that's not fair…"
"Mhhm Padfoot, maybe because you make it too easy for them".
"I completely agree with Wormtail, you know full well that Lily is busier than you and I Padfoot…"
"Yeah, yeah today is hit on Sirius day"
"So its everyday Black"
"Hey, even if it's every day, that's still my boyfriend Lily. I'll tell everyone what you've been mumbling in your sleep all these days. "
"Okay, Okay. I'm already quiet"
Amid further bickering, they finally arrived at the common room. Peter was the first to excuse himself from the group, and as they walked away, they heard him mumble something like
"Oh boy, that's going to drive you crazy. "
As evening fell and night spread its shadows over the castle grounds, the two couples said goodbye to each other. While the boys once again sneaked out to stand by their friend, the girls stayed behind. Worry spread through them. They knew that nothing would happen to them, but now that they knew exactly what James, Sirius and the others were doing, they felt differently. Lily tried to distract herself by reviewing the previous years' material for the N.E.W.T´s, Marlene chatted with Alice and Olivia, but neither of them was really on the ball. By the time fatigue overcame worry and it was one in the morning. They dragged themselves to bed and fell into a fitful sleep. Unrested and grumpy, they woke up in the morning. With visible bags under their eyes, they dragged themselves to breakfast. Once there, they saw the three boys and relief spread through them and their worries fell away. The boys greeted them, and the day started as usual. During free period, Sirius and James approached them and asked them if they had already recited the spell, which they again denied with horror. They had forgotten it in all their worry. They recited the spell and went on their way to the next lesson.
Over the next four weeks, the two gradually fell into a routine. Getting up in the morning, reciting the spell for breakfast, getting the day over with, and spending time with their friends and their girlfriends. They didn't even notice how quickly the time passed. In the meantime, the boys had discussed and worked out a plan how Marlene and Lilylein should best finish the potion, they couldn't very well come along at the next full moon. So, it was decided that the two of them, with Lily's help as head girl, would go to the nest of the Marauders, put the potion there in the moonlight and spit the mandrake leaf into it. The full moon before Christmas came, and everything went smoothly, if they except for the fact that they would have been caught several times on the way back. But now the potion was ready. Twice a day, at sunrise and again at sunset, the young women fetched the potion and waited for a sign of a thunderstorm. Both had decided to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas, firstly because they would be able to undergo the possible transformation undisturbed, and secondly because thunderstorms were more frequent in wintry Scotland than in the rest of England. Marlene had given Lily the idea of having her parents' daily newspaper with the latest weather reports sent to her by owl, which turned out to be a real blessing. For on the evening of December 26, it would be time. A thunderstorm would pass over Scotland.
Their anticipation and excitement now knew no holds barred, but they waited ironclad discipline and dutifully recited The Spell. Also, the dreams, which James had described, occurred now increasingly. Although neither of them knew what to read or deduce from them, Lily, for her part, had the feeling that their dreams were mainly about the elements of courage, determination and power. Several times she had also dreamed of twins, the color black, and winter landscapes, but could make no sense of these clues from her Animagus. Nevertheless, in the last days before the thunderstorm, she could be found more and more often in the library with the books about different symbols.
Marlene's dreams, on the other hand, were about harmony, relaxation, but also about nimble and fast movements. She had also dreamed of winter landscapes, but they were mostly barren and very stony. However, she described the landscapes to the smallest detail and even small things caught her eye. Another thing was the variety of sounds she perceived during the dreams. But, like her friend Lily, Marlene was completely unaware of what kind of animal it might be.
When the day finally came and the storm was brewing over the castle, the two could hardly wait. All the efforts during the last month would now finally bear fruit and they would now find out what kind of animal they would turn into. For the two it was a blessing that many had gone home over the Christmas vacations to be together despite the raging atrocities. It rumbled and hurriedly they made their way to the unused classroom on the sixth floor. They did not meet anyone on their way, but they both had the feeling that someone or something was watching them extremely alertly and attentively. Marlene in particular turned around several times on her way and looked for the cause.
They entered the classroom. The four boys were already there, as usual, and acted as if nothing was wrong. But both young women could clearly see that they were also excited, tense, and curious. Remus broke the silence and smiled at them:
"Well welcome, welcome, everything is ready. The potions are there on the table. Let's wait for the first flashes..."
It rumbled again. This time much louder than before. James and Sirius, both worried about their friends, strode up to the two and took them in their arms once more.
"Don't forget, recite the spell, drink the potion and then it's done...Don't worry nothing will happen..." but Lily wasn't sure if he had addressed the last part to himself. She knew how important her friend was to her well-being. He literally did everything to please her and worshipped her like a goddess.
It rumbled again. Lily took a few steps back, took the vial with the potion in her hand and smiled at her boyfriend.
"Don't worry honey I can handle it..."
A flash of lightning lit up the dark sky. Immediately, as if controlled by an inner, yet alien drive, she pointed the wand at her heart and spoke clearly. Only very vaguely did she perceive how Marlene followed her.
"Amato Animo Animagus"
A feeling of warmth and peace spread through her. Without thinking about it, she put the vial to her lips and drank the potion.
For a split second, nothing happened. Panic rose in her. Had she done something wrong? The consequences would be fatal...But then her vision blurred. She closed her eyes, and it began.
She felt how her body changed. If she stood on two legs before, she was now on all fours. Her hands and feet grew into large paws. Sharp claws dug into the stone floor of the classroom. Her torso also changed; expanded, became wider and longer. She blushed; felt her bust shrinking and becoming teats and a tail growing out her butt.
Her hair became fur and thicker until it covered her from head to toe. Her head was also changing now. In her face, you could feel fine hairs forming around her nose and growing longer. Her nose became a huge snout, her jaw changed and her teeth grew to considerable length and became more pointed. Her canines especially so. Her senses now returned to her and the breath she had now held for what felt like an eternity took in more scents than she ever thought she could experience before. She felt she could smell the emotions of the boys and her boyfriend. James' scent radiated euphoria and pride, Sirius' scent was very much like James', but Sirius was like to her and she cringed at the thought of prey. From Peter and Remus she could detect a hint of fear and respect; again she was overcome with the feeling that the boys were beneath her and she above them, they also smelled like...like prey; she shook her head, no these were her friends not prey. And then there was another smell; Marlene...She smelled different...she HAD respect but not fear, with her again Lily was overcome with that feeling of superiority and being looked down upon as rank lower, yet she felt Marlene's attentive and watchful gaze resting on her that would react to her every move. She was not prey, she was...a huntress like her, yet lower in rank than her. The next moment she noticed something else, something emanating from James he smelled...and she blushed...extremely attracted. The term mate immediately came to her mind. She closed her eyes again and enjoyed that scent. A deep purr came from deep within her.
Then a few seconds later she opened them again and stretched her neck and head and looked around for Marlene, curious about what kind of animal she might have turned into. The movement was unfamiliar to her, she first had to get used to the new size of her body.
At the spot where Marlene had been standing, she could make out a medium-sized, fur-covered animal. Long pointed ears and sharp eyes immediately caught her eye. The fur was spotted with black spots and was of a sandy brown main color. It was about one meter tall and looked extremely graceful.
"Lily? I...Wow...that's..."
Immediately her head shot to her mate. He was impressed by her. A deep feeling of satisfaction spread through her. Then came a new thought...She had to prove to him...prove that...that she was the stronger and he had to conform to her. Mate or not...she would not let herself be subjugated.
With careful taps, paw before paw, she moved toward him. She felt the mood change and a hint of panic emanate from the boys. James swallowed. She sniffed at him. A tremor ran through his body.
James Potter was once again extremely painfully aware that in the relationship with his girlfriend Lily he was not the man of the house at the moment and wore the pants. The way his girlfriend stalked him in the form of her and examined him had on the one hand something extremely disarmingly attractive but also something very scary at the same time. Combined with Lily's temperament to punish him for any stupidity made the whole situation no better…Und yet pride and excitement ran through him as he gazed upon that beautiful tiger body. Carefully he reached out and touched her head and fur. A deep purr sounded, and he relaxed.
"Ahhh Evans, what a cute little kitty cat you are…Ouch Marli, you know you are the prettier of the two of you."
The jerking of Lily's head in his direction and those intense hardened green eyes eyeing him. He swallowed...
"Hey Lily...always take it easy...didn't mean it…" A most masculine cry was heard, Peter and Remus also flinched, with Peter taking a few steps back as well
Lily had made a small leap in his direction and Sirius had run away and jumped onto the nearest table. Marlene looked at Lily for a moment and hissed softly, to which Lily hissed back, but it sounded amused. She snorted once more in Sirius' direction and turned to her friend.
"Lily, Marli, before you tease Sirius any further. do you want to see what you look like?"
A purr and an affirming hiss were heard. Remus pulled out his wand and conjured up a large full-length mirror. Lily let Marlene go first, just rubbing herself against her partner. She looked at herself in the mirror for a good five minutes before she let out another hiss and made room for Lily.
The first thought that popped into her head was...Wow...beautiful. She had become a tiger...An apex predator...She was a good two and a half feet long, if you included the tail about four feet. Just under a meter she was tall. Her fur, like her hair, was chestnut red. Like an animal in the wild, she had white fur on her chest and belly and a camouflage pattern. But instead of black stripes, she had silver ones. Yet she found them immensely beautiful and fitting. She felt as if she had been reborn and could certainly have looked at herself in the mirror for hours. A renewed feeling of superiority and strength came over her. Should all these pureblood idiots dare to mess with her...the queen of the mountains and valleys...
James stepped next to her and put a hand on her back near the crook of her neck. She shivered and began to purr softly. It was an incredible feeling. She barely noticed Sirius explaining to Marlene how to change back, nor did she notice Remus and Peter politely saying goodbye. She heard Marlene drag Sirius out of the room, she smelled her ecstasy, but she didn't care, she only had herself and her mate in the mirror in mind. They stood there for another quarter of an hour until she nudged James, who winced and then explained the reversion process to her. Barely changed back, she threw herself at him and began to engage him in a passionate, demanding kiss. She couldn't help it. Her only thought was to show her gratitude to her mate. For several minutes they embraced each other and showed their affection. When they finally had to catch their breath, she said breathlessly
"James, I can't thank you enough, this was one of the greatest gifts you could have given me. YOU are my mate; I will stay by your side until the end I love you".
"I love you too Lily. I…can't put my feelings into words, how grateful, happy I am to hear you say these words. YOU are my mate too, the promise you made to me, I want to return it to you."
They kissed again, tenderly and yet full of passion. After a while they separated from each other, looked into each other's eyes for a long time, but then finally made their way to the common room, hand in hand and extremely happy and satisfied.
The rest of the Christmas vacations flew by. Lily and James spent most of their time cuddling, kissing, and just lying there relaxing and enjoying the closeness of their mate. But despite the new level their relationship had reached, it didn't change Lily's attitude towards studying for her final exams. On the contrary, she pushed the boys harder than it had been the case before the transformation and after her first date with James. Even Remus, the most studious of the boys, kept groaning under the slave-driving Lily was doing with them. She was supported by a very willing Marlene, who announced that Luna had spoken and her word must now be obeyed. When asked why Luna, Marlene explained that there was an order of strength among wolves, while the male wolves were called Alpha, the female leaders were called Luna, and since Lily was undoubtedly the strongest of them, she was Luna. Remus confirmed this explanation. He, too, had thought of Luna and her superior position when he thought of Lily's Animagus form.
"But I'm not a werewolf!"
"No, not that now, but you're still the biggest predator here and female and your stripes are silver, so it's a perfect fit..."
Marlene ignored her boyfriend's grumbled "and now a woman is in power..." and gave him a gentle slap on the back of the head
"Yes, and it's time we educated you and remember my darling, if you're not good you don't get a kiss".
"WHAT, that's not fair…"
"All is fair in war and love…" she winked
"Okay, okay I'll shut up already. And for the record we're not that bad…"
"We know that. but we only want what's best for you, and if that means I can conjure up your best performance, then so be it. And sometimes it's better if someone stops you from doing something stupid, like your planned prank against McGonagall...Honestly, you're tired of living…"
Peter, who by now also had a girlfriend in Hufflepuff, just nodded silently. He had understood better when he should open his mouth to contradict. He was glad, however, that he had been able to learn a lot from Sirius and James. His friends had made mistakes and had often driven their girlfriends up the walls; mistakes he could now avoid. Life was good.
But despite the hard dictated learning pace, the boys also enjoyed the benefits of the company of their new members. More and more often they were able to persuade Luna and Spot to participate in pranks. They also took part in the monthly nightly outings, and it was these two who fooled around more than the boys. They were mostly educational pranks, which made the whole school community laugh and grow closer together, but nevertheless it was all the more fun. Only the Slytherins isolated themselves more and more from the rest of the school, but that was something that could not be remedied by their pranks.
The teachers were extremely happy that their four good-for-nothings were now under female supervision. Especially Professor McGonagall hoped that young Marlene and Lily would now teach their friends a little more sense. And there seemed to be hope, as the four young men were seen studying more and more often. Despite the occasional prank, she was extremely happy and wished only the best for her lions. Especially in times like these.
The only one who was not happy about the development of the four Marauders and the two girls was Severus Snape. How much he had hoped that his Lily would finally come to her senses and return to him. Didn't she see what a mistake she was making with that arrogant idiot of a Potter. All attempts to talk to her and ask for forgiveness had been blocked or ignored. He had held on to her to at least listen to him, but she had hissed at him and there was something in her eyes that still made him shiver. And he would not have much time left to convince his Lily of the truth of his words, the N.E.W.T.s would already take place in three weeks…Why was she so stubborn?!
The last week of May had arrived and for the seventh years this meant giving it their all one more time to get the best possible results in their final exam. One person was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Even though her friends and boyfriend kept reassuring her that she of all people had nothing to worry about, Lily couldn't shake the thoughts of panic and doubt. She studied late into the night and was the first one back on her feet and in front of her papers in the morning. Several times she had been gently coerced by her boyfriend to take a break. Several times he had carried her outside under hissing protest to let her think about something else. That such an action was supported even by the otherwise so strict Professor McGonagall, had surprised many. For she had also approached the head girl several times and had tried to discipline her in her learning frenzy.
This phase was finally over and the rest of the Gryffindors breathed a sigh of relief and began to relax. None of them wanted to stand between Lily Evans and her goal of getting the best grades she could. The vacations were just around the corner and everyone was already there with their minds on lounging. The seventh years were preparing for their graduation ceremony and you could see in each of them, despite the beaming faces, that they would miss Hogwarts and its lands. The four Maurauders and their two unofficial members were in particular mourning as their group had just begun to come together. They promised to always be there for each other. They had ideas about what they wanted to do after graduation, but some of them were missing something.
Peter wanted to enter his family's apothecary in Diagon Alley. Sirius was still undecided, although the direction was clear. He would enter Magical Law Enforcement, whether as an Auror or Hit-Wizard, he did not know yet. Marlene had originally intended to go in that direction as well but was now considering becoming Gringotts curse breaker. James was inclined to follow Sirius into law enforcement but would first take lessons from his father to learn how to manage the businesses that belonged to the Potter family. Lily had not forgotten the description about the Unspeakables and their research, but now everything depended on whether they invited her to work for them. Remus had it the hardest of the six. Just a few weeks ago, the laws about werewolves had been tightened. Despite his very good academic achievements, these laws had made it impossible for him to find work in the wizarding world now. He would probably now look around in the Muggle world. However, he did not say that he also wanted to look for his sister.
At that time, he had already come under quite heavy pressure and Dumbledore had tried with all means to find out a secret, which was not intended for the normal mortals. He as a damned, as a monster knew it, but he kept this secret for fear of divine punishment and to protect his sister. At that time, a divine intervention had saved him, but he would not risk challenging fate again.
Nevertheless, on the last evening when all six enjoyed the sunset on the shore of the lake for the last time, they swore to always stick together.
That was chapter 7, I hope you enjoyed it.
Feel free to leave me comments or private messages, I'm happy about any form of constructive criticism.
See you next time