The rays of morning light shone on a certain red-head in her dorm. Blinded by the light she sat up stretching her arms and yawning widely. She rubbed her eyes and reached out for her alarm clock. 6am? She knew she would never get back to sleep now and unwillingly climbed out of bed. She quickly showered and changed into her robes. On the way out of her dorm she looked into the full-length mirror. Even though she would never admit it, she saw a beautiful girl staring back at her, her bright emerald green eyes that lit up her entire face. She smiled half-heartedly as she remembered a certain James Potter saying the same thing to her during one if his long speeches on her stunning beauty and personality and why she should go out with him. Of course she had said no. Just like she did every time. He was one of the biggest players in the school and he would break her heart just like he did to the rest. But she knew that he was growing on her. There was something more about him she couldn’t figure out. And the want, even need to figure that out grew everyday.
She walked out the dorm and down the stairs into the common room. She seated herself on the comfy armchairs in front of the fire and picked up a book that someone seemed to have left there. “Advanced Transfiguration” she read silently. That was James subject, just like Charms was her own. He was brilliant at Transfiguration and was the only person who could beat Lily at this, though he never mentioned this to her. How he could excel in this class when all he did was mess about with his friends was beyond Lily.
She sighed and looked around the common room and then glanced at her watch. 6.30am. No one was awake. Why would they be? It’s Saturday. No one wakes up this early, even on a school day. Maybe she should get some homework done? Normally she would have risen to this opportunity as she barely got any time to do any work on top of her Head Girl duties, especially that her Newts were coming up. Somehow James managed to keep on top of all his work and he must have even more work than she did! He had his Head Boy duties, was Quidditch Captain and also gave tuition in Transfiguration for some second years. In addition he had his work and of course planning for all the pranks that he and the rest of the Marauders played on the Slytherins. She grinned in memory of the last prank which had actually been yesterday at breakfast. Suddenly, as Dumbledore rose to dismiss the students for their first lessons, there was an explosion at the Slytherin table. After the smoke had disappeared everyone craned their neck to see all the Slytherins looking exactly the same. Surprised slightly, one Slytherin got up to shout at the Marauders, probably that their prank hadn’t worked. But the moment he opened his mouth, he said, “Gryffindors are the best! Slytherins smell!” Astonished he clapped his hand over his mouth and sat back down, all students giving him weird looks. Another Slytherin then proceeded to attempt speech but instead, “Yeah I agree! Slytherin is the worst house ever with the worst Quidditch team in history! We’re so going to lose against Gryffindor since they are the best at everything, especially Quidditch!”
At that point Professor Slughorn, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin, rushed down from the teachers table in attempt to reverse the spell. At this, there was another explosion when all the Slytherins’ hair turned bright green with pink highlights. As well as this, they all climbed onto the table and started dancing while Severus Snape began to sing in opera style, but trying to dance at the same time. At this, the whole hall excluding the Slytherins burst into laughter, some with even tears of laughter in their eyes.
“James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew!” shrieked a hysterical Professor McGonagall, who had now got up from the teachers table and was striding towards them, her face white with anger.
“Yes Professor?” Sirius answered, in his most innocent voice, which was in fact not very innocent at all. “Can we help you?”
“Your behaviour is inexcusable! Mr Potter, you are Head Boy and you, Mr Lupin, are a prefect. You should be setting an example for the younger students not teaching them hoe to terrorise other pupils. For this-”
“We should serve detention for the rest of this week-” began James.
“And scrub the trophy room from top to bottom-” continued Sirius
“Without magic and under th supervision of Filch,” said Remus
“We’ll there promptly at 7pm, don’t worry,” assured Peter.
“Anything else?” asked James.
“Well, erm, no. That’s all.” And with that she walked back to the teachers table, all students in silence.
“Now, after that piece of … entertainment,” said Dumbledore (the Slytherins and Professor McGonagall glared at him while the Marauders raised their hands as if receiving praises) “You are all now dismissed and may go to classes.”
*** Back to present***
Lily gave a quiet chuckle. Even though she would never tell James so, she did find his pranks quite amusing. But she didn’t want him to become even more big-headed so only shouted at him instead.
A sudden thought came into her mind. Why was she thinking about that Potter more than usual. Her friends had always teased her that she actually liked him, even though she had denied that for four years. She surely couldn’t? I mean, this was Potter! That arrogant Potter so full of himself who could get any girl he wanted!
Except her.
Well of course he couldn’t get her. She didn’t like him of course.
You sure about that?
Of course I am! I don’t like Potter. Actually I hate him. He’s the last person I would ever dream of going out with.
But you’ve been thinking about him this whole time. Surely that means you can’t hate him. Maybe you even … like him…
No! Of course I don’t! That’s being ridiculous! How can I like him? I’ve rejected him for this long! I can’t suddenly like him can I?
If you say so … but you know that you don’t really believe that do you?
“Oh stop it!” she said out aloud. “Great! I’m now talking to myself. First sign of madness,” she muttered to herself. She decided to go outside for a walk. Breakfast wasn’t until an hour and she needed to clear her mind. “I mean Potter? Have I really got nothing else better to think about?”
She climbed out the portrait hole and finally reached the entrance doors. She breathed in deeply. She loved being outside. There it was so open and free. Still walking through the grounds, she looked over at the Quidditch pitch. She remembered the last match “ Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, where Gryffindor had, obviously, beaten Slytherin. She remembered how James had punched the air in their victory and then immediately looked down at her. She, blushing, turned away and suddenly became interested in the wooden benches in front of her, biting her lips.
“Damn” she muttered. She was supposed to not be thinking James. That’s the reason she decided to go for a walk, wasn’t it? And so she continued her walk through the grounds, thinking about nearly everything it seemed to her, and cursing herself every time she began to think about James again.
Crack
She paused. She looked down seeing a now snapped twig and a scattering of leaves. Twig? Leaves? But the grounds of Hogwarts only consisted of grass and paths, and it was very clean so there should be no reason for twigs or leaves to be doing so carelessly on the ground.
Silence
She looked up, examining her surroundings? Where was she? She didn’t recognise this place. Was she still in Hogwarts? Had she somehow managed to walk out of it? But that isn’t possible, she assured herself. All those enchantments …
Darkness
She saw the tall trees, which twisted and turned into each other, their gnarled fingers stretching out towards her. She gulped and put her hands in her robe bring out her wand. Gripping it very tightly in her hand, she backed up, her beautiful eyes now wide with fear
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” She had just backed into a tree, the rough bark scraping her. She ran in no particular direction, just hoping that was the way out of this place. It suddenly clicked in her mind where she was. The Forbidden Forest. She knew that it was dangerous … full of dangerous creatures … dangerous animals … dangerous … danger … Oh where was James? Why wasn’t he here? The one time she needed him he was nowhere to be seen. She was nowhere to be seen. No one knew where she was. She hadn’t thought to tell anyone. Thought she’d be back in time. What if she never saw any of them again? What if she never saw James again …
Tears silently fell down her cheeks and she wiped them furiously with her hands. Don’t be silly, she told herself. Of course you’ll see them again. All of them. They’ll be looking for you. Of course they will. She stopped running, her hands on her knees, panting for breath. Her wand held in front of her, she looked around for a direction … sign … anything that would help her.
Her thoughts suddenly flicked to him. Of all times now? She crouched down, pulling her knees up to her chest. Oh why had she refused James? She now knew in her heart now that she loved him. Him and only him. No one else for more perfect for her than him. But he would never accept him now. She had seen the hurt and pain in his eyes every time she had rejected him, each time more cruel than the last, until she had almost enjoyed hurting him and seeing his pain. I’m no better than the Slytherins, she thought to herself. Maybe that’s why he stopped asking me out every second. But I still see the longing in his eyes. He’ll never know that I love him. I don’t even know how long I loved him. I just know that its right. Like nothings ever been right before. He’s right. And nothing else ever will be.
She was lost. Lost in this forest. Lost in her love for him. Lost in her longing for his arms to be around her, protecting her. Just lost.
She looked up. There in the distance she saw the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life. A stag that seemed to glow with its radiance. It filled her with hope that she would be found. She would be with him. She would be complete.
Cautiously she got up, and pulled branches out the way. There was something in that stag that was pulling her towards it. Its eyes were fixed upon her, as if calling her name, telling her to come near. Now standing directly in front of it, she stretched out her right hand to stroke its head. The stag did not flinch, only took one step nearer to her. She looked into the stag’s eyes, which somehow reminded her of James, she wasn’t sure how. As Lily touched the stag’s face and interlocked her fingers with its antlers, the stag began to… grow? That could not be possible? But she saw, in awe, it changing into the man she loved.
“J-J-James?” she whispered softly.
“In the flesh …” he said, matching her whisper. “You weren’t there at breakfast. No one knew where you were. I was … worried … didn’t know … where …”
But Lily, with a sudden burst of energy wrapped her hands around him with such power, but he did not recoil, only put his arms, too, around her and stroked her hair. “It’s okay, Lily, you’re with me now. No need to worry. You’re fine.”
“I-I was s-so scared. D-didn’t known where I w-was. I “ there … trees … didn’t know…so s-scared” Lily trailed off, tears pouring down her face. They remained in that position for what seemed like hours, Lily burying her face into his robes.
She finally pulled her head away from James’ chest, looking straight into those hazel eyes she was now lost in. “Never leave me?”
“Never.” And she searched his eyes, bit saw nothing but honesty and love in them. Raising his hand, he brushed away her tears with his thumb. “Come,” he said tenderly, gently tugging on her arm, “Everyone will be wondering where you are…”
And so they walked, through the forest, hand in hand. The bond which could never be broken between the two. The silent understanding of their love and need for each other. Lost in each other.