A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters

This is for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Insane Prompt Challenge

476: Setting: shrieking shack

word count: 778

She held her breath, ear against the door. She wasn't sure what she was hoping to hear in all honesty. She knew they were in there, knew they'd all met up there. James never was very good at keeping his mouth shut. Sirius was worse.

"Ow, watch it!"

"You're poking out my eye!" She pulled back trying to figure out what the four could possibly be doing in there. Why were they meeting in secret, she knew it had to be a secret. Why else would they sneak out the Shrieking Shack in the middle of the night? She put her ear back to the wall.

"Prongs! For the love of Nimue, watch what you're doing!" She bit her lip. Prongs, wasn't that what Sirius was always calling James? Carefully she crept around the side of the shack. She knew there was a small window, just above her head on the northern wall. Maybe she could find a way to peek inside and see what the boys were doing. At this point, she'd come too far not to find out.

The window was where she remembered it. But it was too dirty to see through. Lily peeked through the dusty broken glass and frowned. She'd need to find another way to see in. She looked up and realized there was a hole in the roof. Nodding, she climbed up there and was looking down into the shack. Below her she could see a deer, a dog, and Remus. She looked around trying to find Peter. She knew he was here, he had left with the other three. She climbed up a little higher, trying to get a better view. The rotten wood of the roof creaked and suddenly gave way. Lily screamed falling through the air only to land in James' arms. She blinked looking around. The deer was no where to be seen.

"I always knew you'd fall for me," James joked. She glared at him as he set her on the ground. "You alright?"

"Peachy, what are you doing? You know you're not supposed to leave the grounds, and where is the deer that was just here?" Remus and James shared a look. Lily leveled her gaze at them. "And where are Sirius and Peter? I know they were with you."

"I think the jig is up," James stated with a sigh. "You see, Lils, I'm Prongs."

"What does your stupid nickname have to do with anything?"

"Simple, I," he stopped talking and turned into a deer. Lily stared at him.

"You're an animagus."

"We all are, well, except Remus," Sirius stated turning back to his human form. Peter stayed a rat.

"Let me get this straight, you three are out of bounds, and are illegal animagi, and Remus is a werewolf..."

"How'd you know about that?" Sirius asked.

"Obvious, did the homework," Lily answered.

"So, um, are you going to turn us in?" James asked once he was human again. Lily looked at them, including Peter the rat before shaking her head.

"Who would believe me?" she finally asked bursting out laughing. "If I went to Dumbledore and said you three were illegal animagi, you'd deny it and it would be just another Tuesday. Alright, I'll keep your secret, but you owe me something," she stated.

"What?"

"I think you're going to show me how to do it. I want in," she said with a hint of a gleam in her eyes. James and Sirius blinked but Remus just nodded.

"It's difficult."

"If Peter can do it, I can," she stated. And like that, her animagus training began.

Lily was a perfect student, following the directions exactly, except when James added to them.

"See, and then you have to go out on a date with me." Lily just hexed a dirty sock to fly into his mouth. She was still holding her mandrake root under her tongue.

"Bet that tastes better than that root," Sirius laughed. He got a pair of dirty pajama bottoms for his comment.

In the end, it was worth it. Lily finally managed her transformation the last week of their fifth year. Turning from red haired beauty queen into a lovely fox vixen. James was surprised she hadn't turned into a doe to match her patronus. He was complaining loudly about the fact when Professor McGonagall, who happened to be walking past commented,

"They don't always match, Potter. Besides, Miss Evans being a fox... well, I believe it makes perfect sense." James turned to say something but Professor McGonagall was already gone. He shook his head and went to go see if he could convince Lily to go out with him.