a/n: I'm sorry for the very slow update these days. Anyway, I'm just trying to update now because I still have time. It's our finals and I have to make grade somersaults. Since you are very welcome to this story, I'll be using this one as a plot for our indie film project.

I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

CHAPTER 18: SEARCHING UNDER THE MOON

"Isn't this just a filler adventure?" Danicia asked Lily as she told her about the new couple's details. "I mean, isn't there always a delay when you are already pairing-up James Potter?"

"Shush, you're just thinking too much, Dani," Lily replied, dipping her quill in the ink bottle. "Speaking of thinking too much, I am thinking about your sister. I mean, it's part of the job to keep a couple together, right?"

"Well, now you're the one who is thinking too much," her friend replied. "But anyway, can I borrow your astronomy chart? I need to get these computations fixed."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Aren't there any misfortunes around? I'm bored!" Aphrodite whined, lying lazily on her small island throne. Suddenly, Apollo arrived, getting a glimpse of her heaven.

"Don't even start wishing for any misfortune," he warned her, using his forefinger to get into her head. "There was a commotion in the underworld and Charon was really hysterical."

Aphrodite rolled over. "So? Why is that skeleton-man hysterical? Is he tired of ferrying his boat? Does he need a motor-driven ship now?"

Apollo raised his eyebrow on the non-humorous joke. "Aphrodite, I don't know if this should concern you or what. The Ferryman knows the rivers. He knows if someone touched them. And it is forbidden to touch them."
"Then?" Aphrodite asked again, now sitting upright.

"The water is touched Aphrodite. Touched with unclean hands. And collecting the loss water from the rivers concerns you," Apollo said.

"Why?"
"Lackwit! I really hate talking to you," the wise god said. "Someone attempts to create a Dianca!"

That made Aphrodite wake up from her half stupor. "Dianca? Who would… what in the world would…? All areas report!" she shouted, her voice echoing around that there was a slight earthquake.

All officers started to work frantically, as though they were whipped to work. One area emerged in the middle, denoting trouble. A voice boomed around. "Detecting Styx energy area… Area found… now reporting…"

"Dear goddess, there is a casualty in Hogwarts area," one of them said.

"Show me the blueprint," Aphrodite ordered. As usual, a giant DNA-like structure appeared. It showed a dark, scary red light at the far right. "Someone attempts to make that cursed potion," she said as she slammed her fists on a small table before her.

She thought for a moment and said, "Detect the presence of Hogwarts accomplice."

"Now detecting…" a voice over boomed. After a while, a glittery, pink light appeared, giving off golden sparks.

"They're not too far away from each other," she mused and nodded. "Good. Now, detect presence of Argua in the vicinity."

"Now detecting… Found in the Forbidden Forest," the voice over replied, showing off a new bright green light."

"Apollo?" Aphrodite said, prompting the god who was already sitting on her throne.

"Yeah?"

"You can't be late at Delphi. I have to do this alone," she said seriously.

"Of course," he said. With a salute, he disappeared.

"Naia Ai," she said, the wand appearing on her hand. "Prepare for Hogwarts accomplice bonding," she said.

"As you wish," one of them said. She placed her hand on a lighted button. "Now connecting…"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lily's bracelet burned once again. "Hey, what is this?" she asked, looking at it with bewilderment. Because of that, she tripped on a stray ink bottle.

"Hello, Lily," a voice said. A hologram model of Aphrodite appeared before her.

"Oh, hello there," Lily replied, kneeling down so as to decrease the pressure on her foot. "What's up?"

"Lily, I need you to find something," Aphrodite said in her singsong voice.

"What is it?" Lily asked.

Aphrodite blew a small emerald to Lily's hand. "That should do. Once that emerald glows, you have to surround the perimeter with my magic, using one of the gems in your bracelet."

"Why?" Lily asked. "Is there something wrong?"

"That is to keep Argua in that place."

"Argua? Do you mean…?" Lily started as she covered her mouth in horror.

"Exactly, Lily. Someone likes to create the Dianca and the only missing ingredient, I bet, is the powdered wings of Argua, the Guardian of Love," Aphrodite ended dramatically.

"But where is she?"

"In the Forbidden Forest!" Aphordite replied.

"It's the Forbidden Forest!" Lily repeated. "FOR-BID-DEN!"

"I'm a goddess, Lily, remember that," Aphrodite said. Before Lily could say anything, she disappeared.

"What are you doing down there, Evans?" a voice asked. She looked up and she saw none other than James Potter!

"None of your business, Potter," she replied. She tried to stand up but she found out that her foot that hit the ink bottle was twisted. Because of that, she whimpered and slumped back to the ground.

"Is there something wrong, Evans?" James asked, his smug face now replaced with a worried one.

Lily held out a hand. "There's nothing wrong, Potter. If you could please shove off," she said. She tried to stand up once again. She used the wall as support but eventually, she gave in.

"Let me help you," James said, offering a hand. Reluctantly, Lily took the hand and she ended up being carried by James (wedding style) to the Hospital Wing.

"You owe me one date, Evans," James teased as he dashed to the Hospital Wing.

"This is so embarrassing," Lily commented, trying to cover her face in the process. They were passing some corridors with students pointing at the two of them. However, her attempt is useless.

"We're here, my dear lady," James mocked as he placed her on a chair. Madam Pomfrey responded three seconds after they arrived. "You know what you owe me," he said with a salute.

The moment he left, an owl started to knock on the window. Madam Pomfrey opened it. The owl directly flew towards Lily.

"It's from Raven," Lily muttered. She took the rolled-up parchment and read the note:

Dear Green Apple,

I'm very happy that I had the chance to meet you at last. But my happiness will not be complete until I am able to see that beautiful face of yours.

Please meet me again in the same place, the Hogsmeade weekend before Easter Holidays. I'll always be waiting, rain or shine.

Raven

"Well, that was an absolutely lovely note," Madam Pomfrey commented with a smile. "If you would please raise the foot that hurts on this stool…"

Lily followed her instructions as the nurse tapped her wand over the now swollen foot (what a big misfortune on an ink bottle).

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You know, Prongs, you're getting all cheesy when you're writing to that penpal of yours," Sirius said, waving at the girls who started giggling at the sight of him.

"Then I'm cheesy, Padfoot. At least I get to have a normal, unbound life," James said. At the corner of his eye, he saw Auriga sprinting towards them. "Speaking of unbound…"

"Hello, James. Hello, dear," Auriga greeted. She is sporting a glittery clip on her hair today. "How do I look like?"

"Sarcastically glittery," Sirius said in a dull voice. James snorted in the attempt to hold back his laughter. "Anyway, I need to talk to you."

"Okay," the girl said in a childish sort of way.

Sirius led her to a quieter spot. "Auriga," he started. "I want to… I want to…"

Up in one of the towers, two individuals were spying on them. "Sirius is bonded with Kristanna," the one on the horse explained. "Once he says what he wanted to say, it would be stopped."

"What are you planning to do now, Erida?" her accomplice asked.

"Simple," Erida replied. "I am betting that the girl is not as dumb as she looks. Cunning in a secret way, I should say."

Back to the spot, Auriga stopped Sirius. "Please, Sirius. My… my brother died yesterday," she said, shedding crocodile tears. "I don't know what to do. You're the only one who can comfort me." She embraced Sirius, who seemed to be frustrated in the event.

"I'm sorry," Sirius replied, returning the hug. Auriga smirked behind.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"We have a new thing to do, Danicia," Lily said. "First, we have to pair up Jeanne Shou and Christopher Summerwind. Then we have to look for Argua."

"Shou and Summerwind? Aren't they the ones who rival the chorale painting up on the second floor?" Danicia asked. "They're a great pair. I could almost believe that their songs contain magic."

"I don't know the two of them but you do know about them. Are you really a super-friendly person or what?"

"Well, I'm just talking about what I feel about their songs," Danicia objected. "It does look like it has magic."

"It does!" a voice popped up somewhere. Next minute, Danicia realized Eros' head upside down, in front of her face.

"Aaaahhh!!!" Danicia shouted. "You scared me." Lily just laughed.

"You're talking about the next couple's music having magic, Eros," Lily said, kind of confused. "I can't understand."

"It's always a goddess conspiracy, Lily," Eros explained. "Every couple will have something that will link them eventually. Something that will show people how much they feel for each other. Take the next pair-up, for example."

"Okay, I think I'm absorbing it," Danicia said.

"Before I forget, did my mother inform you about that person? The one who attempts to make the Dianca?" Eros asked in hushed voice.

"Yes," Lily said. "But we have to warn Argua. She's in the Forbidden Forest," she reminded the god.

"I know," Eros said. "But I'll make sure that no one sees you."

"Isn't it hard to look for her?"
"There is one technique so that it would be easy for you to see Argua and her wings," the god replied, sitting down on Lily's bed. "The light of the moon," he said with a dramatic effect.

"Light of the moon?" Lily repeated, confused.

"When the Guardian's wings are dropped with the full moon's light, it glows in its most lovely scope. It blinds the eyes of the person who directly sees it, and puts that person to a slumber's yoke. Yet anyone who drinks the nectar of the lovely Guardian's wings to broth would be forever under the spell of sleep and infatuation…" Eros recited with a dramatic effect.

"Does that mean we have to go search for Argua in a full moon?" Danicia asked scarily.

"If that's how you define it," Eros said. "Come on, people. You have a week before Easter holidays. And that week contains the full moon. You have a job to do on Easter. Now go up there and do your job!" Eros said in a military way.

"Yes, sir!" the two shouted back the military way too. "But why are we saluting?" Lily asked Eros when she almost placed her salute near her temple.

"Never mind," Eros said. He conjured a hologram astronomy chart in front of them. "You have four days to plan your little adventure before the brightest full moon this month. Is that okay?"

"Anything for the power of love," Lily replied in a way unlike her. Gosh! Maybe that's an effect of her temporary position!

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Lumos," James whispered to his wand before covering the four of them with his cloak.

"Wormtail, quit stepping on my foot!" Sirius said, muttering some other curses in the process.

"Guys, coordination here," Lupin said. "We have to reach the Shrieking Shack before the full moon gets out on the open."

"Okay," the other Marauders chorused. They started to walk like in a six-legged race until they reached the violently swinging tree.

"Your turn, Wormtail," James whispered the smallest. With a nod, Peter became a rat and he went through the branches of the angry (always angry, actually) willow.

When it became marble-hard, they started to walk inside. However, in the corner of James' eye, he saw a faint light coming from the castle, towards the forbidden forest. It suddenly disappeared after that. "Guys, looks like there are some casualties tonight," he muttered. He assisted them inside the slide and when he did not follow, he heard Sirius' voice echoing through the tunnel.

"Prongs, aren't you in?" he asked.

"I'll go check on something," he replied. He left the cloak on the opening and transformed to the beautiful stag as he was.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Eros, I don't know what you're up to but you're over-artistic," Lily commented. She was now wearing a green, nymph-like dress with odd ends. "What are you up to?"

"Influences," Eros said smartly. "Besides, we have to prove the 'Goddess in Green' theory if anyone saw you. My mother specifically made that dress for you. She loves girly stuff, to tell you that." Eros touched the cloth of the dress. "Besides, it will conceal your face. Even though someone you know sees you face-to-face, he would not really see your face."

"Do you think she should really go alone?" Danicia asked.

"Well, I think she really does. But for a 'call a friend' option, you'll be there, don't worry," Eros replied.

"So, are we going?"

"Wait…" a voice interrupted. The bracelet burned and Aphrodite appeared once again. "Lily, I have to give you a warning," the goddess said. "Once the moonlight hits the wings of Argua, it could have the power to charm you under her spell. And once that happens, we cannot do anything for you."

"I understand," Lily replied.

"I think this is unnecessary but I would also like to tell you that she could put in deep sleep any man who hears her voice, like a siren. She is a Guardian of Water after all."

"Okay," Lily replied.

"To you, Danicia, I'll leave an aurora path." A small ball appeared on her hand. "You can only use it once. That will lead you to Lily once she gets into trouble. You'll know when that time comes."

"Let's go, Lily," Eros said, beckoning her.

"And wait, the Naia Ai," Aphrodite said, giving back the rubies to Lily. "Good luck."

The two of them set off to the Hogwarts grounds, flying down from the window of the tower to the grounds.

"Tala," Lily whispered the rubies and it lighted up, guiding their way. They were able to trek thirty steps when Eros suddenly stopped her, vanishing the light with a touch of his hand.

"It's so dark, Eros!" Lily pleaded.

"Don't be stupid! I feel a presence around here. A human presence!" Eros hissed back.

"What are we going to do?" Lily asked.

"Run blindly!" Eros whispered. Lily ran to the forest while Eros floated behind her. "Oooppss!! Sorry, Lily, have to leave!"

"Why, Eros?" Lily asked.

"Beeping work. Bye, good luck!!" he said before disappearing.

Lily walked bravely through the forest, knowing that she was protected. She went farther and farther until she started to hear sounds of something from the side, following her.

"Get out, whoever you are!" she said, the rubies becoming a wand once again. "I'm… I'm not scared!"

Suddenly, a stag came out of its hiding place, approaching Lily.

a/n:

Hmmm… what was that?

Anyway, I'll appreciate some reviews! And I hope I can update soon!