Black Lily

Chapter Six

Changing

Lily blinked. The werewolf was staring at her, with wide eyes, its jaws still clamped around her foreleg. The voice still echoed in the back of her mind, speaking words in Gaelic, words that had fallen from her lips naturally.

"Let go of me." A low growl fell from her lips, and the werewolf released her.

"You... You can speak to me!"

"I guess werewolves and wolves speak the same language, huh?" She rose and shook out her fur. Inhaling, she turned her head sharply to look towards the trees.

"James...." Tentatively, she took a step towards him. The dark haired boy scrabbled back, glanced at the werewolf behind her, and swiftly transformed into a stag. If Lily had been a human, she would have raised her eyebrows. But currently, she didn't have eyebrows, so she couldn't.

"Well Potter, this is interesting, to say the least."

"And not only is she an Animagus, she can speak telepathically."

"I'm not an Animagus. I had to use words to make myself change."

"Ah." A black shape hurtled out of the woods and Lily felt the strange sensation of being rammed in the side then flying. She whimpered softly.

"That hurt..."

"Evans?!?" she slowly rose from the ground, and turned to face the huge dog.

"You always were the smart one Black. Next you're going to realize my first name is Lily and that I'm a wolf."

"Holy fuck!"

"Not only is he smart, he's articulate." She wasn't sure, but she was positive that the werewolf was sniggering.

"Oh, think I'm funny do you?" She growled at him, noting the shocked looks in the stag and dog's eyes.

"Yes, you are rather amusing. It's a change having some one to talk to. The others... they mean well, but they may as well be speaking Mermish for all the sense they make." She grinned wolfishly, and trotted over to the other wolf.

"Remus, you cant expect them to make more sense as animals then as humans, it isn't fair on them."

"You know who I am?!"

"Of course. Potter and Black wouldn't be out here for any one but their friends, and I've seen Peter in the castle at the full moon, so that left you." He nodded. Lily stretched, beginning to become accustomed to the strange shape that her body was in.

"So... What do you guys do for fun at the full moon?"

*

Lily opened her eyes and moaned faintly as the light hit her face. She rolled over and squeaked as she hit the floor. Sitting up, she looked around, wide eyed, at her common room. Had she fallen asleep here? It seemed that way. With a sigh, she stood up and winced as her muscles pulled uncomfortably. She felt so... pathetic. She missed the power and grace of her wolf body. She looked over at the other sofa and the armchair. James was draped over the armchair, and Sirius and Remus were curled up on the sofa. A little stiffly, she walked over to James and shook his shoulder.

"Potter. Potter, wake up!" He mumbled something and rolled over. Lily rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"James, will you wake up?" A small smile played on his face, and Lily yelped as he yanked her onto the armchair with him.

"James! Wake up you wanker!" With a groan, he opened his eyes.

"Oh, the wonders of being woken up by you, Lily my darling. 'James! Wake up you wanker!' Just like we were married..."

"Oh shut up you idiot." She grinned and slipped off his lap and onto the floor. She plucked at her skirt thoughtfully. James licked his lips.

"So... I guess this means that we're... friends?" She blinked, a little startled. Were they friends? Could they even be friends??

"I... I guess." He let out a sigh of relief and grinned.

"Great! It was starting to get on my nerves to see you with that bloody Slytherin and smartarse Ravenclaw-"

"Wait... their still my friends too!"

"Don't be daft; you can't expect us to hang around with them!"

"Then you can't expect me to hang around with you, you pretentious, incomprehensible git!!" She jumped up, fury blazing in her blood. "Just because you 'offer' to be my friend, doesn't mean that you can be my only friends! I care about Fal' and Sev' a lot! They're better friends then you could ever be! In fact, I'd go as far as to say I love them!!" She froze, realizing that her yelling had woken the others, and that there were people in the door way. Falcon looked rather shocked, and as though he was trying not to laugh and Sev' had his eyebrows raised so high that they were practically hidden in his hair line. Falcon sniggered.

"Well, now that we've had that announcement, I am here to help milady get rid of all her rather horrible, tasteless clothes. And Sev' is here..." he blinked, "Sev' old man, why are you here?" The boy shrugged, flicking his hair out of his face in annoyance. Lily grinned.

"That is why he is here." She ran forward, grabbed the two by their arms and hauled them up the stairs into her room, leaving the Marauders staring after her in shock.

Once in her room, Lily picked a pair of scissors of her bureau. Sev' looked at them warily.

"What are you going to do with those?" Lily grinned.

"Sit." She pointed to a chair and Sev' sat down cautiously. She stood behind him, and selected a piece of his shoulder length hair.

"You see, mon ami, I have a theory. I reckon that if you're hair were shorter, you would be able to stop it being so greasy."

"My hair isn't greasy!" He stopped, evidently realizing that he had just said one of the stupidest things that he could have. "Well... not that greasy any way."

"I beg to differ. So, while I do this, I give Fal' full permission to go through my wardrobe and throw out anything that he likes." The Ravenclaws' eyes gleamed as he threw open the wardrobe doors and began to go through it. Steadily, Lily cut through the hair that she had in her hand and dropped the hair remaining in her hand onto the floor. Deciding as she went what she was going to do, she cut it so that it wasn't very short, but a little floppy so that it could be styled at will. When she had finished, she laid the scissors back on the bureau and Vanished the hair on the floor. Walking over to her dresser, she picked up a bottle of hair styling potion and flicked it deftly up into the air, catching it with a grin.

"Almost done." She flicked the cap off and poured a little onto her hand. Walking back over to him, she rubbed her hands together, and then began running the potion through his hair, flicking bits sideways and back at random.

"Voila." She grinned. Sev' shook his newly shorn head.

"Why do I let you get away with these things?"

"Because you love me?" He chuckled. Lily looked at him. Without all the hair hanging around his face, he looked so different. If it hadn't been for the nose, he would have been handsome. But the nose wasn't his fault; it was Sirius Black's. Several broken noses would do that.

"Sev', will you let me do one last thing?" he sighed.

"If you really feel it necessary." Lily picked up her wand once more, and pointed it directly at his face.

"Straccatus Fiento." A blaze of red light flew out of the wand, and hit him. Sev' cried out, his eyes watering. Within a moment, it was gone, and Lily stood with her mouth quirked in a triumphant smile. The boy who sat in the chair didn't look like Severus Snape anymore. His nose was now straight, and didn't hook slightly in the way that it used to, and his hair didn't hang in greasy lifelessness. Sev' raised his eyebrows.

"Well? Do I at least get to see the 'new me'?"

"By all means." Lily handed him a mirror, and grinned as his eyes widened.

"No matter what they say about you Lili, you definitely know what you are doing with a pair of scissors, a palm full of potion and a well placed charm. She laughed.

"Thank you." She smiled at her friends, then ushered them into her sitting room so that she could change, sniggering as Falcon stared at Sev' in shock.

*

Upon entering the Great Hall, the three found themselves being stared at. Many of the students had gone home for the Christmas holidays, but some had chosen to stay behind. Lily flicked her hair and rolled her eyes.

"Oh for gods sake, you would think that you people had never seen Sev' before. It's just a hair cut!" she rooted around in her pocket, and pulled out her Head Girl badge, and, pulling out one of her ear rings, which had been Transfigured into tiny spikes, slipped it through the hole and clipped it shut. Lily sat in the nearest chair, flinging herself down in an oddly graceful way. Sev' reached up his hand to his hair. Lily raised her eyebrows slightly.

"Sev', you put your fingers anywhere near that hair cut and I will personally see to it that you have no hand by the end of the morning." She grinned, and helped herself to some coffee. Inhaling, she rolled her eyes up and closed them blissfully.

"Ahh, coffee... my one true love." She smiled as Falcon laughed.

"Now we know why she refuses to go out with Potter; she is already in love with some thing else."

"Thing being the stressed word... because that is what Potter is." The three sniggered. A girl approached shyly, and sat down next to Sev'.

"Hi... I haven't seen you around before." Lily licked her lips slightly and raised her eyebrows at Sev'.

"Actually, yes you have." The girl stared as Severus Snape's lazy drawl came out of the lips of the now handsome boy.

"S... Snape???" Lily grinned, and, leaning across the table, flicked a strand of his hair back into place, answered for him.

"Yeah." She looked at Falcon, and winked. "God, I'm good." Sev' rolled his eyes and drained his cup of coffee. The girl cast one last look at him, realized that he was intending to ignore her, and left with a sigh.

"That wasn't very nice of you, Severus Octavius Snape." He glared at her, and growled.

"I've told you not to call me that." Suddenly, Lily burst out laughing. Her two friends stared at her, wondering what she had eaten the night before. Falcon coughed slightly.

"Ur... Lili? What are you laughing at?"

"S.O.S!!! Save Our Souls, Severus Octavius Snape!!!" They rolled their eyes, looked at each other and said in unison;

"Muggle thing."

An owl dropped the Daily Prophet onto Lily's head, and then flew away again.

"OW!! Stupid Bloody Bird, I'll wring its neck and eat it on Christmas day!!!" glaring at her laughing friends, Lily unrolled the newspaper. Her stomach dropped, and her appetite faded as she absorbed the head line and article.

'Enter the Dark Lord

Once again, the Wizarding world is in morning as the self acclaimed 'Lord' strikes again. This time, He- Who- Must- Not- Be- Named has caused the demise of the widely respected Bones family. The Dark Mark was found hovering above their home at one o'clock this morning by a neighbour. Jonathan Bones, Amelia Bones, Michael and Jessica Bones had all suffered Avada Kedavra, an Unforgivable Curse. Only one of the family has been left living; 17 year old Abigail Bones is in her final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and is now an heiress of well over 1 million galleons. Is she safe at Hogwarts? Or will she be soon to follow her family? Only time will tell. Informants say that Dumbledore, no matter that he is the head of the Wizengamot, is now becoming a 'senile old bat', and cannot do anything to help if the worst happens to Hogwarts School. Is it time to bid the Headmaster fair well, and leave the way open for a younger, more able candidate?

All Muggles who witnessed anything of the incident received a memory charm.'

"That Bloody Rita Skeeter!!" Lily's explosion rang across the Hall. Sev' put a hand on her arm.

"Lili, come on now-"

"I swear to God, I am going to kill her! I will scratch her bloody eyes out and then make her eat them!!" He put a hand over her mouth, and then pointed down the table. Abigail Bones was sitting on her own, head bowed, staring at her empty plate. Her blonde hair was hanging loose, and her clothes were untidy. Lily's heart filled with pity, and she stood up and quickly walked down the table.

"Abby?" the girl looked up, and her eyes filled with tears. One trickled down her cheek, leaving a wet trail.

"Oh Abby..." Lily sat beside her and wrapped her arms around her. The blonde clutched her tightly, sobbing into her shoulder while Lily rocked her gently back and forth, shushing her, holding her as she wept brokenly.

"Don't worry Abby; I'm here. I'll look after you. As long as I draw breath, you will be safe. And I won't be alone." Falcon nodded, sliding into the seat beside the two girls, and after a moment, Sev' sat as well. Abby looked at the three, a little bewildered. They were all from different houses; Lily was a Gryffindor, Falcon was Ravenclaw and Sev' was a Slytherin, and she was Hufflepuff. Yet if these three could become such good friends, and they were offering her that friendship as well, who was she to refuse? She smiled weakly.

"Thank you Lily. And Falcon. And Sn... Severus?" she looked at the black haired boy enquiringly. Lily blocked his reply cheerfully.

"Oh, we call him Sev', so you can too!" Sev' rolled his eyes and grinned.

At the other end of the table, Albus Dumbledore watched the four and smiled. Minerva McGonagall raised her eyebrows.

"Alright, what are you thinking?"

"What makes you say that I must be thinking something?"

"You have that look in your eyes, the one that states that you are thinking something. And I would say that it was something nice." Dumbledore smiled, and sipped his tea.

"Minerva my dear, I must say that you powers of deduction grow by the day." He put his cup back on the table in front of his, and nodded his head in the direction of the red head. "That girl may not be very tactful, or have much of a conscience. She may not be a good girl, or sensible, but those are of no matter. Lily is one of those special people that comes along once in a while to disrupt the foundations of society. She has more humanity then most, and those who are her friends should count themselves lucky because she would rather kill or be killed then have her friends harmed. Abigail Bones will be safe, yes, and happy, with Lily as her friend. She changed Mr. Snape from one of the most undesirable Slytherins to an ordinary teenage boy, and made Mr. Carlisle realize that there is more to life then his own house." He smiled, and began to unstick two pieces of toffee from his pocket. "But we had best keep an eye on her; for James Potter's sake." Dumbledore looked at the two pieces of toffee for a moment, and then stood up.

"Excuse me." The chatter in the room ceased, and he smiled, "thank you. Now, I'm not one for making snap decisions- stop laughing Miss Evans- but I had a thought just now. As there are more of us then usual, and none of us have anything drastic booked for this holiday, what would you say to a Dance?" Lily looked incredulace.

"What, another one?" Dumbledore smiled indulgently at the girl.

"Yes my dear, another one."

"Then I say bring on the music baby!!" Abby laughed, and Falcon sat on the incorrigible redhead, while Sev' shook his head, and helped himself to more coffee.

"Lili darling, you can't call the Headmaster 'baby'. It isn't right." She grinned and wrapped her arms around Falcons' waist.

"Well, I wasn't necessarily calling Dumbledore 'baby'. It was any random person." Her eyes widened, and a slow grin spread over her face. The thought was perfect! She looked at Sev' thoughtfully. Her friend looked wary.

"Ok, what ever that look is for, I really don't like it. What is going on in your wicked little mind now, Miss Le Fey?"

"Sev', my dear, darling Sev', do you have no faith in me what so ever?" Falcon, Sev' and Abby looked at each other.

"No."

"Nope."

"Nada."

"Oh ye of little faith! But listen. I've found this spell, don't ask me what it is, as that is totally irrelevant, and it screwed up my radio. I had to get a new one because my old one now plays this weird music," she grinned, "From the 90's and 2000 onwards." Abby stared at her.

"But... Lily-"

"Lili, please."

"-Lili. It's 1979."

"Yes, I do realize that," She sighed, and pushed Falcon off her lap. "Come on, I'll show you." They left the great hall, Lily's arms slung around Abby and Sev'. She paused in the doorway.

"Oh yeah. Sev'?"

"Yes?"

"Wanna go to this Dance thingy with me? Because I have a tres bon idea."

"What if I say no?"

"Then I will ask Falcon."

"And what if he says no?" Lily grinned.

"Then I will ask either Potter or Malfoy. The choice is yours."

"Ye Gods! I will, just to save you." Lily grinned, and squealed and Sev' picked her up threw her over his shoulder, and ran down the corridor with her. Abby looked at Falcon, eyebrows raised over still slightly blood shot eyes.

"Are they always like this?"

"Oh yes. Totally insane, no?" He grinned, and offered her his hand.

*

"OK, what did you want to show us?" Lily grinned and dragged Abby into her room. The blonde girl looked around her with wide eyes, staring twice at a poster of a seventeen or eighteen year old boy with angular cheek bones, dark brown hair and brilliant blue eyes. The poster winked at her, then smirked as Lily began to rummage through the trunk underneath him. When he spoke, his voice had a Californian drawl to it.

"You know, those legs would definitely look better in one of your skirts then those jeans..." Lily straightened up, clutching an old looking radio. She raised her eyebrows at the poster.

"James, must you always make such sexist comments?" she turned away from the poster. "That's just James. James Marsters, in truth. Annoying poncy git, if you ask me. But very cute. Not very famous- yet." She grinned, and placed the radio on her bureau. "This is it. My very dear future radio." She turned it on, and for a moment, a piercing whistle echoed around the room, to be replaced by a mans singing. Lily's eye lids lowered slightly, and she crooned along wit it.

"Now I've had the time of my life, and I never felt this way before, yeah I swear it's so true, and I owe it all to you..." she blinked, and grinned at the three others.

"So, you want to hear my idea?" the others nodded, and Lily grinned even wider. She yawned and growled faintly, shaking out her hair. Sev' blinked.

"Lili... since when was that an idea?"

"Mmm? Oh, sorry. Not much sleep. Out all night, woke up this morning as a pathetic human-" realizing what she said, she flew into a stream of swearing in three different types of Gaelic, including Middle Gaelic, which is really difficult. Sev' raised his eyebrows.

"Yes... well, now you are done with that... interesting display of your linguistic skills, would you mind explaining?" Lily sighed. She hadn't wanted them to find out yet! She needed to get used to it herself. She stepped away from her friends, and began to speak very softly, repeating the words of the night before. Her spine began to prickle. She gasped as her vision switched to a wolfs, and her body followed.

She looked up at her friends, shaking out her fur. A shriek pierced her now acute hearing, and she winced.

"Jees, Abby, do you really HAVE to do that? I can hear a lot better then you. Can't you shriek quietly?" the three blinked, and Abby's shriek stopped.

"Di... did you three hear that?"

"Of course they did. Now, Falcon and Sev', go into my sitting room for five minutes." The boys left, and, rather regretfully, Lily changed back. Abby blushed, and turned her face away when she realised that Lily was naked.

"Oh come on, it's not like you haven't seen all this before!" None the less, she pulled her clothes on.

"OK guys, come back now. Idea time." Sev' practically dragged Falcon back into the room, and Lily grinned at Abby as they heard what he was saying.

"... Redecorated! She's redecorated with out asking me my opinion on colour schemes! I feel so... used! Violated! Insulted! This can't possibly be happening! My tastes in colour coordination have been ignored! My god! It's-" before he could get any farther, Sev' put his hand over his mouth, silencing him mid word.

"Enough Carlisle; we get the message, you feel insulted. Shut it now, ok?" For a moment, the Ravenclaw looked as though he was going to argue, but finally he nodded. Then bit Sev' on the hand, hard. He laughed as the Slytherin yelped and dragged his hand away. Lily rolled her eyes at the laughing Abby, and purposefully separated the two boys.

"Stop it little boys, try to be a little more mature, alright? Gods Abby, you wouldn't think that these two were older then me would you? Actually, come to think of it, you're probably older then me too; I'm the youngest seventh year." Abby smiled, and nodded; she was older then Lily.

Settling herself on Sev's lap, Lily began to explain her idea.

The three of them stared at her, and then Falcon cleared this throat.

"You are joking, aren't you?" Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Not at all, why would I be?"

"Lily, you are talking about sabotaging the music, setting Cornish pixies on the Slytherins, and suspending the Marauders upside down over every ones heads while charming them to dance at top speed."

"And your point is?"

"It's brutal!"

".... And you point is?"

"My point is, we won't do it." Lily stared at them. They couldn't be serious, they couldn't not do it.

"You're not seriously telling me that you're not going to do this, are you?"

Sev' hugged her around her waist, leaning his chin on her shoulder.

"You know that Fal' and I are usually behind you one hundred percent, but this is a little to... vandalistic for our taste." Falcon and Abby nodded. Lily pouted, but accepted it. Even if she was rather insulted.