The days were growing longer as summer approached. Everywhere students could be seen taking advantage of the warm weather. Lily had even convinced Miles to take a break from studying for his N.E.W.T.s and spend some time with her outside. The two of them strolled around the lake and talked casually about the past year as well as their plans for the summer.
“So what do you want to do after Hogwarts?” Lily asked, kicking a pebble into the lake.
Miles picked a flower from a nearby tree and handed it to Lily, saying, “To tell you the truth, I honestly don’t have a clue. What about you?”
She twirled the flower around slowly in her hand before answering, “Well, I think I might want to be an Auror. That way I can really help people. You know, really feel like I’m making a difference and stopping bad things from happening, -preventing innocent people from getting hurt.” She had never really told anyone this except Professor McGonagall last year when she had picked out her classes. She thought it might sound stupid or too high-minded.
“Isn’t it a bit dangerous though?” Miles asked doubtfully.
Lily frowned. “For a girl, you mean?”
“No, in general,” Miles answered quickly. “I mean aren’t we always hearing about in the paper that this or that Auror has been attacked by some of You-Know-Who’s followers?”
“Yes, but I think it would be worth it,” Lily replied. “I mean, don’t you think it’s important to stand up for what you believe in?”
Miles shrugged. “I guess, but there’s no reason to risk your neck over it.”
Lily sighed and looked out at the lake. Maybe it was just a silly idea. She couldn’t save the world all by herself, but she still wanted to make a difference.
“Well, I’d better get back to studying,” Miles said, interrupting her thoughts. “Are you coming too?”
“No,” she said. “I think I’ll stay out here for a while.” Lily watched him trudge back up to the castle for a minute before walking on. She held out her hand and let the wind carry the flower he had given her away. It twirled around for a few seconds and then dropped into the lake. Suddenly she heard voices approaching.
“What about that Peter fellow who’s always following them around? He looks like he might do it.”
“Yes, but we’d have to get him right under Potter’s nose.”
Recognizing that sneer as belonging to none other than Bellatrix Black, Lily tried to make a quick exit before they emerged from the trees, but it was too late.
“Ah, if it isn’t perfect Prefect Lily Evans,” Bellatrix sneered. “I have to admit, I was taken by surprise when you slipped off the edge of the stands yesterday. So unlike the graceful poise and self-control we’ve come to expect from such a star student. How disappointing. Well, then again, you are a mudblood.”
“You know very well I didn’t slip off,” Lily replied coldly.
“Rodolphus sent an Impediment charm at me.”
“How would you know?” Rodolphus charged. “Your back was turned.”
“Really, Evans. You shouldn’t talk about what you don’t know. It only makes you look stupid.” Bellatrix added.
Annoyed at being talked to like a five-year old, Lily answered, “We were in a stand crowded with people. There were plenty of eye-witnesses.”
“Right,” said Rodolphus. “But there won’t be any eye-witnesses for this,” and he fired a wordless spell at her.
Lily had just enough time to produce a shield charm to protect herself, but hardly before the red sparks had disappeared Bellatrix shouted, “Expelliarmus!”
Lily’s wand shot out of her hand, arched over the trees and landed with a small ‘plop’ in the lake. Great, Lily thought, just what I wanted; to be stuck wandless and alone in front of a whole group of seventh-year Slytherins. But she wasn’t too deterred. Though she had been studying magic at Hogwarts for six years, she hadn’t forgotten that spells weren’t the only way to defend yourself. As Rodolphus aimed another spell at her she jumped for the nearest tree branch and scrambled up it. The Slytherins laughed.
“Awe, don’t go hiding on us, Evans,” Rodolphus said. “You know you want to come out and play.”
Lily held her breath and tried not to move so the leaves wouldn’t rustle and give her away. This was very difficult to do however, because she had the strong urge to shriek when she felt a very hairy something with eight legs crawl onto one of her legs.
“Yes, we were having so much fun,” Bellatrix called as well. “You are being rude, you know.”
“Obviously we need to teach her some manners,” Rodolphus agreed, guessing where she was and shooting a spell at her. Luckily for Lily it was about a foot or so to the right of where she was. Nevertheless, she grabbed another tree branch and swung herself up a little higher.
“Fine. If you don’t want to come down then we’ll just make you. You can’t stay up there forever anyway, Evans,” Rodolphus shouted. This time he fired a spell at the tree’s branches, making them go very limp. It was as if they were suddenly made of rubber instead of wood. Lily frantically tried to seize one of the tree’s limbs, but they were too smooth, and she slid down to the ground.
Covered in dirt and leaves, Lily hardly cared that she looked like a tree had tried to climb her instead of vice versa. All she cared about at the moment was getting away from Rodolphus and Bellatrix as fast as possible.
“Really, Evans,” Bellatrix laughed. “If you wanted to become a cat and go tree climbing, you could have just said so.” She pointed her wand at Lily and muttered something. Once again, Lily tried to dodge her spell, but she had landed on her ankle oddly, and it gave a funny wobble as she tried to jump out of harm’s way. The spell hit her right in the ear and shoved her back down.
Suddenly Lily felt very peculiar all over. Her arms felt like they were extending and getting thicker, and her nails grew long and sharp at an alarming rate. Her ears painfully shifted further up on her head and her nose lengthened until it touched her mouth. Tears sprang to her eyes when some whiskers sprouted from the sides of her face. Pinpricks exploded all over her body as orange-reddish fur popped out everywhere. But perhaps the strangest sensation of all was when a long, powerful tail erupted from her backend.
Lily tried to scream but all that came out was a strange sounding yowl.
“Cat got your tongue?” Rodolphus chortled as the others snickered.
Lily did not think it was funny. She growled and started to advance on them but Bellatrix whipped up her wand and said, “Not so fast. I still don’t think you’ve learned your lesson.”
Lily let cat instinct take over and sprang at the dark-haired girl.
“Levicorpus!” Bellatrix shouted as Lily flew at her. A small yelp slipped out as Lily’s left hind leg was yanked up above her head.
“Now, let’s see how well cats can swim,” Bellatrix said with an evil gleam in her eye as she floated Lily nearer the water. Both her cat instincts and her normal senses were screaming to be kept as far away from the water as possible. But however much she kicked and thrashed about wildly in the air, it did her no good. Lily felt her stomach drop and her fur stand on end as she stared at the moving waters below.
“Liberacorpus!” Bellatrix cried and Lily crashed into the lake.
* * * * *
James whistled as he walked out of the castle and onto the grounds. He would have preferred some company but Remus was diligently doing homework, and Sirius and Peter were in detention for something they had done last week while he was at Quidditch practice. James could have joined Remus in writing his potions essay, but he hadn’t felt like it. He wandered around towards the lake, figuring he could at least look for that plant Professor Pollyweed wanted for their next Herbology class. But when he got there he didn’t feel much like doing that either. James sighed and sat down under a tree. That’s when he noticed the big cat coming out of the water.
What looked like a cougar to James stomped out of the lake and vigorously shook the water off of its reddish fur. Blowing some more water out its nose, it gave an angry growl and started pacing. James realized that it hadn’t noticed him yet and tried to back silently away. On his third step though, a twig snapped and the cougar brought its head up alertly. James froze, wishing dearly that he had his invisibility cloak with him.
Its two emerald eyes held him in place, waiting for his next move. He gulped and slowly started to back away, but the cat moved as well. Not wanting to incite it with any sudden movements, he carefully reached back to his pocket for his wand. The cat moved a little quicker. After a few more steps James raised his wand and the cat stopped, looking warily at it.
Lily wasn’t sure if she could take any more spells today. Please, she thought, let him trust me. I won’t hurt you, James, I promise. It would be her luck that James Potter would be the first person to stumble upon her in this feline form. How was she supposed to convince him that she really wasn’t just a big cat trying to eat him? Eyeing his wand, she took another couple of careful steps forward.
Five steps later James found himself backed up against a very strange tree. At first he had assumed it was a willow from the way its branches were bending over, but it was clear from the size and shape of its leaves that it was an oak tree. James looked back down at the cat only to find that it had stopped advancing on him and sat rather quietly just within his reach.
Minutes passed and James wondered what it was waiting for. It was staring at him as if it was clearly waiting for something, but he hadn’t the slightest clue what. Then it broke his gaze and thumped its tail, blowing air out of its nose as if sighing. It shifted a little and then glancing back up at him, it moved its head toward his empty hand. James jerked it away and the cat stopped and went back to its waiting position.
James was very confused. The cat did not seem tense or about to attack him, but maybe that was all part of its plan to calm him down and then take him unawares. But then again, with it so close to him, he seriously doubted he would have time to throw a spell at it if it did decide it wanted him for dinner. Taking a huge chance, James lowered his hand and extended it to the cat. It did not start sniffing it as James expected it to, but rather it brushed its head under it, pushing it up like a dog would that wanted to be petted. And that’s just what James did, letting out a relieved sigh, and scratching it behind the ears. This was, without a doubt, one of the strangest experiences he had ever been through.
Lily started purring as James rubbed her head. Ooh, that felt nice. Wait, she thought, I’ve got to concentrate! Turning her head a little and opening her eyes slightly, she just barely glimpsed James’ waist and his right hand limply holding his wand. Come on, she thought, just move your hand up a little more away from your body. She pushed her head up against his hand again and like she expected, he raised his right hand at the same time that he did his left. Seizing her chance, she grabbed James’ wand with her mouth and took off.
“Hey!” he yelled and dashed after her. He mentally berated himself for actually trusting the blasted beast. What had he been thinking? Of course it didn’t just want to be his friend. He prayed that it hadn’t already chewed up his wand and discarded it somewhere among the trees. He’d never be able to find it if that was the case, plus it probably wouldn’t even work properly any more. James moaned, or rather huffed because he was out of breath, at his fate.
Clearing the trees, he paused to look around. Strangely enough the cat was there with his wand still in its mouth, waiting for him. Waiting for him? Maybe it was a dog trapped in a cat’s body and just trying to play fetch. He hoped that was the case. Just as he started getting near it again though, it took off running.
“Stop!” he yelled uselessly.
“No, I’m not stopping,” is what Lily tried to say, when in actuality all that came out was another yowl. Not until I show you something that might make you understand. She had been running at a pace that he could keep up with, but she slowed down even more as she reached the Forbidden Forest. She didn’t like going in there as a human, and the thought still didn’t appeal to her even as a predatory cat. But she darted in between the trees anyway, knowing that it might be her only way of getting back to her normal appearance. Not hearing James crashing through the undergrowth behind her, she turned around and went back to the open grounds.
He stood with his arms folded and a look on his face that said, “You’ve got to be joking.” Normally James wouldn’t mind a jaunt in the Forest with the Marauders, especially if it was during a full moon, but he wasn’t stupid enough to go in there without proper control of his wand. He was anything’s snack if the cat decided it was done playing around with him. The cat waited.
“This is ridiculous,” James said, but he followed the cat anyway. This time it merely walked ahead of him, leading the way deeper into the Forest. After a few minutes they came to a small clearing and it paused. James was all but shocked when it turned around and dropped his wand at his feet. After gratefully picking it up, he watched the cat go to the edge of the clearing and pick some flowers. At least that’s what he thought it did, because cats do not normally pick flowers.
James remained puzzled when the cat looked expectantly at him, thumping its tail on the ground. Was this supposed to be some kind of peace offering for stealing his wand? Somehow he didn’t think so, because it now it seemed like the cat had only taken it to get him to follow it. James hesitantly took the flowers from its mouth.
Suddenly it tensed and looked around at the forest. It must have decided that it wasn’t safe for James because it started shunting him backwards to where they came from. And then James saw it. A pony-sized black, hairy spider was climbing down one of the trees opposite them. The cat growled and lowered itself into attack mode.
When she spied the huge spider, Lily had felt anything but brave. In fact, she had had the strongest desire to run screaming as far away from it as she possibly could. But then she let her cat instinct take over again, knowing that James would make a much easier target than herself. Lily prayed that James had had the sense to run when he still could. She couldn’t check behind her to see if he was still there because she knew if she took her eyes off the spider for one second she would be a goner.
Lily watched the spider approach, wondering how exactly she was supposed to fight it and come out alive. One thing she knew for sure; she did not want to get caught under those long, hairy legs. It paused, and she knew what was coming next.
With the force of all eight of its legs behind it, the spider launched itself at Lily. But she was ready for it and gave a mighty leap over it. Except she didn’t make it all the way and ended up on its back instead. She tried to dig her claws into its back but its armor-like hide was too thick. As it writhed around to get her off she grabbed onto one of its legs in a very uncat-like move. As she fell, she tightened her grip and found that with a vindictively satisfying crack the leg came off with her.
The spider screamed in pain and reeled around to face her. It immediately charged a volley of stabs at her. Lily tried to keep up, but the fall had left her off balance. Not sure of her footing, she slipped and the spider pinned her down with one of its legs. As it lowered its jaws she kicked and scratched with all her might. Suddenly sticky, white filament was all over her. Panic stricken, she squirmed even harder, willing herself not to give up because she knew that if she did she would be mummified alive.
The spider screamed again, letting its hold of her go, and Lily feared the worst. When the final blow didn’t come she struggled up to a sitting position, or as close to it as she could because her complete back end and legs were wrapped in the strong fibers. What she saw amazed her. A great, majestic stag was attacking the spider. Lily quickly tried to free herself so she could help it.
As she scratched at her bonds she thought of the odds of her and the stag defeating the spider. It had too many legs and a very thick exterior to protect itself from them. Better go for its eyes or, Lily shuddered to think of this, its soft underbelly. Finally freeing herself she evaluated the situation. The stag had dragged the spider away from her to the point that it completely had its back to her. Taking the opportunity, she lunged at the beast, and before it new what was happening, she was standing on its head, scratching its eyes out. It contracted violently and Lily lost her footing, sliding off the giant arachnid yet again. Once again she was too slow in getting out if its way as it writhed about in pain. By accident it stomped on one of her back legs, the one of course that she had fallen oddly on after climbing the oak tree. Before it could further hurt her, the stag charged it, sending it retreating back into the dark confines of the Forest.
Lily turned to the stag to somehow thank it, but as soon as she took one step towards it, it shot off into the woods. Better get out of here too before that thing comes back, she thought. But she had gotten so turned around by the fight that she wasn’t sure where the way out was. Looking around her, she realized that she was sitting right next to the patch of lilies that had been across the clearing when she first got there. Lily laughed emotionlessly. Now James was gone and it was getting dark. No one would believe that a dirty, wet, and bloody cat was really Lily Evans. On top of it all, her leg was killing her. As she began to limp out of the Forest, great big cat tears formed in hers eyes and dropped silently onto the undergrowth she passed over.
James sighed in relief and sagged against one of the trees at the edge of the Forest. What had that cat been thinking, leading him into the Forbidden Forest like that? It’s a good thing I was able to transform into Prongs, he thought, otherwise I wouldn’t have had a chance.
It was when he wiped his forehead with his hand that he realized that he was holding onto something. It was the flowers the cat had given him. Lilies. A crazy idea entered his brain. No, he thought, that’s impossible.
James straightened back up as he heard a rustling coming from the trees. The cat emerged from the Forest, limping slightly. It gave him a shocked look when it realized he was standing there. Then, letting out a soft, mournful cry, it looked at James, pleading at him with its eyes.
James was helpless. He had no clue what it wanted or furthermore what he could do for it. Glancing down at the crushed lilies in his hand, he thought back to the clearing. He had transformed into a stag to save the cat. What if the cat was someone else that had transformed? It might explain why it was acting so strangely. Why didn’t whoever it was just change back if that was the case?
He looked back up at the cat and asked doubtfully, “Er, you’re not “you’re not a student are you?” The cat all about started dancing, as it thumped its tail about happily. Then it started nosing his hand with the lilies in it.
James laughed, and still feeling a bit silly he said tentatively, “Lily?” She purred and nodded, thumping her tail some more.
“But how do I know it’s really you?” he asked. Suddenly James found himself being practically mauled by the cat. It leapt up and put its paws on his shoulders, pushing him down to the ground where it kept him. Still trying to catch his breath, James stared into the cats eyes. Green eyes.
James chuckled. Attacking him in a mad fury was certainly a very Lily Evans thing to do.
“Alright, Evans,” he said and did the spell that would change her back into a human. She collapsed onto him, which James had no objection to, and slowly transformed back from a cougar to the Lily he knew.
Once the changes had stopped, Lily rolled off of James and sat up, feeling her head.
“I’m going to kill Rodolphus and Bellatrix the next time I see them,” she groaned.
“Did they do this to you?” he all but growled.
She nodded and told him the whole story. When she finished he stared at her, taking it all in. She certainly looked like she had fallen in the lake and then traipsed all over the grounds. Her wildly disheveled hair sported a few leaves and one long stand of seaweed; her uniform was covered with dirt and ripped in a few places; and one of her ankles was bleeding slightly. He still couldn’t take his eyes off her though.
James was reminded of the moment in their fourth year when he realized that he liked her. She had looked pretty similar to the way she did now except she was still sopping wet. You see, she had been thrown in the lake by a banishing charm. Actually, James was the one who had done it. He and Sirius had just tried a new spell, which they had read about in a book from the library, on Severus Snape when she came barging over, preaching about how it was wrong to make idiots of other people just because you could. James was so tired of her yelling at him all the time that he just wanted to get rid of her. And that’s exactly what he intended to do with the banishing charm. He really hadn’t meant to send her into the lake though. That was just a perk.
James and Sirius were laughing when she stormed up the banks of the lake absolutely furious. It wasn’t until she was standing right in front of him, steam practically coming out of her ears, that something strange happened.
James was looking at a piece of seaweed in her hair, not listening to a word she was saying, when he noticed just how many freckles she had. And he realized also that even though her bright green eyes were shooting daggers at him, they were sort of pretty. As a matter of fact, he thought, she’s kind of cute when she’s angry. All at once, James felt a pull somewhere around his navel and had the sudden urge to lean down and kiss her.
“Are you even listening to me?” she had shouted, pulling him out of his trance.
He did a very foolish thing next when he said, “Will you go out with me, Evans?”
Sirius burst out laughing, Remus covered his face and groaned, and Peter simply looked at them eagerly.
Too disgusted to answer, Lily stalked off.
“So that’s a maybe?” he shouted hopefully at her retreating form.
James chuckled at the memory.
“What’s so funny?” Lily whispered. James looked into her eyes and felt the familiar tug he got whenever he was too near her.
“Nothing,” he whispered back. And this time he really did lean down to kiss her.
Lily hadn’t realized how close she and James were, because she was too busy staring into his hazel eyes. For once he wasn’t being annoyingly immature. In fact, he was being quite reasonable. A funny tingling started running through her body and Lily was suddenly incredibly nervous. Her breath caught in her throat as James leaned in. Eyes wide, Lily panicked and slapped him hard across the mouth.
“Ow!” he exclaimed and put a hand up to his face.
“James Potter,” Lily spluttered without any real force behind the words, “How dare you.”
“Jeez, Evans. You didn’t have to hit me. You could have just said no or something,” he said still rubbing his mouth.
Not about to apologize, Lily straightened her back and said, “Well nothing else would have worked. No matter how many times I say it, that thick scull of yours won’t comprehend that I DON’T like you and never POSSIBLY could.”
“Well I did save you,” he replied. “The least you could do would be to thank me.”
“Nonsense,” she said, sniffing and looking away. “I’m sure I could have convinced anyone that it was really me.”
James seriously doubted that, but he humored her anyway. Getting up, he offered her his hand and said, “Come on. You should probably go to the hospital wing to make sure there’s nothing wrong with your leg.”
She ignore his hand and got up on her own, saying, “I don’t need your help, Potter.”
“Fine,” he said frustratedly.
Lily started to determinedly walk off, half stomping, half limping, when she remembered that her wand was still at the bottom of the lake. Turning back around and looking pointedly at James she said, “I need my wand back.”
“Accio Lily’s wand,” he said without taking his eyes off her. About a minute of stony silence passed before her wand came zooming towards them.
“Thanks,” Lily muttered and turned back to the castle.
James decisively headed in the opposite direction, which as he soon realized, only led him back into the Forbidden Forest. Stopping at the edge, he grunted and kicked a tree. He had been so close! He could have sworn that she had wanted to kiss him too, so what had happened? James would give anything to know. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, pacing a bit. Seeing the crushed lilies that he had dropped when Lily jumped on him, he bent down and picked them up. This would have to do for now, he thought, and headed back up to the castle.
Stronger Together by Pevensies_Pensieve
Chapter Notes: Lily has a bad day, but James is there to cheer her up.