Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling, and I do not own Harry Potter, but I love her wizarding world.

Love Never Ends

by: Aepple

Chapter 3: A Transfiguring Charm

James ran back through the forest towards Padfoot. He felt relieved that Lily was okay, that she hadn't been harmed. Carefully placing that worry aside, he mind drew to back to the woods, back to the moon, back to the black dog left alone with the large wolf. He knew that controlling Moony alone, or with a rat, was brutally difficult, as he had experiences on many occasions. As he neared the field where they usually played, he could see that the clouds had obscured the moon. Moony sat near a tree resting with his broomstick in his hand while Sirius appeared to be chasing Peter through the air.

He morphed out of his stag form as he approached the tree taking a seat.

"Hey," he said patting him on the shoulder. "It looks like we're done for the night." James said admist the silence.

Seeing James, both Sirius and Peter made a nose dive for the tree, and hovered just above the ground.

"Is she safe?" Sirius asked trying to catch his breathe.

"She's back at my house. I told her to stay there and wait for me."

Sirius laughed shaking his head, "And you think she'll actually listen to you?"

James shrugged his shoulders, "I didn't think about it twice. I needed to make sure you guys were okay." James could see his snitch in Sirius's hand.

Remus was silent. He knew he would never be okay. Had they survived the night? Yes. "You should go back to Lily, James." He spoke.

"If she's still there…" Sirius added.

"Make sure she gets home," Remus continued. "Keep as much as you can a secret."

James knew that Remus always worried about how everyone would treat him if they knew the truth.

"Remus, she's not like that."

"All the same," Remus said standing up. "We'll wait out here for you."

With that Remus mounted his broom, Sirius released the snitch, and the three of them were off again.

James ran through the woods as Prongs in a slight trot. With the Marauders out of his mind, he focused on Lily. When he found her in the woods, she looked him in the eye. Hers were a beautiful emerald green, his favorite color. She had known to climb on his back. She trusted him… as long as she didn't know it was him. She didn't trust that he wouldn't get hurt by Moony. She had tried to protect him, very brave, James thought. It meant she must care at least a little. Yet she would seldom look him directly in the eye. He didn't know why. The few times when she had were amazing. He felt chemistry. Not only was she beautiful and brilliant, he felt a connection with her that he hadn't with any other girl. He liked arguing with her, and in time he was determined to win her. She would come running into his arms, not away, a victory that he hoped would happen this year.

James approached he basement, and took in a deep breathe of courage. Opening the door, he saw Lily seated at his chess table fumbling with the pieces deep in thought. He closed the door, and walked towards her taking his seat at the table across from her.

He attempted eye contact, which she refused. He sighed and asked, "How did you get through the enchantment?" James asked.

Taken aback Lily replied, "What are you talking about? What enchantment?"

"We put an enchantment on the house so no one can see it or into the forest. They don't have an interaction with it. We used a pretty powerful one. What did you do to break through it?"

"Oh," she sighed, "James, the counterspell is rather well known. I was just reading about it in Mysteries of Gringotts on my train ride here," she added knowledgeably.

He stared at her for a moment anxious, and absorbed in many thoughts. Taking in another deep breathe he said, "Lily, this does not leave the basement."

Sensing his sincerity, she asked, "Is Remus okay?"

"What does he have to do with this?" James asked with a raised eyebrow.

"James, stop it. I know," Lily said shaking her head. "I know he's the werewolf. Prongs. Padfoot. Wormtail. Moony. You're all animagi. It only makes sense. Admit it," she said.

"I can only tell you my secret," he said realizing his mistake as it came out.

"But how did Remus become a werewolf? What happened?"

He his hand through his hair making it even more messy. Over the past few years, she observed that he only did this when he was nervous.

"I won't tell anyone that I know. Well, Sirius will know that I saw him, but Remus doesn't know," Lily said.

"Lily, we were protecting him and having a little fun," he added looking at her with a mischievous glare in his eyes.

She knew the Marauders were clever, but they always used it to get into trouble. She had never considered what difficult feats they could tackle when they worked for good, when they worked out of friendship, loyalty, and love.

"What happened to him?" She asked again sensing his vulnerability.

"Honestly, it's his story to tell," he said.

"Spoken like a true noble stag," Lily said. They sat in silence for a moment. Lily understood more about James from the past hour than from the past 6 years, and James thoroughly appreciated Lily's uncharacteristic compliment.

She understood that she probably wouldn't get much more out of him. "If things are really okay," she said trusting him, "then I should be getting back to the Dursley's house. My sister is marrying one of your neighbors down the street and I'm just here for the night, before heading off to London for the summer," she explained.

"I'll walk you home," he motioned.

"I'll be fine," she said.

"No, seriously; I'll walk you home," he said. "I need to make sure you exit correctly and then I need to replace the charm."

"There's no arguing with you, is there?" She said walking for the door. "But let me teach you a better one," she added. "Anyone can break through the one you set."

"No, Lily, not anyone, just you," he replied. "Neither Sirius, nor Peter, can set that one, and most people don't know the counterspell. I wasn't expecting a Ministry rated Charmest at my house this evening," he said honestly.

"Given the unexpected, I'll teach it to you anyway."

"But I'm still going to use the other."

"Suit yourself," she said.

"Lily, I'm almost confident that I won't be able to set it without you."

"Is James Potter admitting that he can't do something," she asked taking on his joking role.

"I'm admitting that you've got me beat on this one," he said quietly. With that he reset his old charm. "Can I walk you home now?"

Maybe I've been wrong about him, she thought. With his guard down James can be rather pleasant. She nodded.

"Did I just get a yes, from the fairest Lily?" he joked getting back to his normal self.

Pleasant, she thought, but those moments are few and in between. She smirked, "Don't think of it that way. I'm letting you walk me home as a thank you for saving my life."

"The fairest Lily is thanking the noble stag for his gallant act of saving her life. This is a first." James said comically, though there was a trace of nervousness in his voice.

And it was a first. The first time he saved her life. The first time she would thank him. The first time she would catch herself in one of his transfiguring charms.

A/N: I know I promised Thursday updates, but it's summer... and I was being lazy. Again, thank you so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them!

Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling, and I do not own Harry Potter.