Beyond the Lake

Chapter Four

***

Lily stood back as the Marauders began planning their night, still in awe. How on earth had he become a stag? The whole matter had her perplexed, so she sat down on the closest piece of furniture that she could do so without it toppling beneath her, which happened to be a little blue couch, just staring at James.

"Do you want to leave?" he asked, sitting down next to her.

"Sure, are you guys done?"

"Yeah, at least enough so I can leave. Do you want to go back to the common room?"

"Why not?"

So they walked back together, silently, with his arm around her waist.

She lay in bed later that night, thinking of everything that had just happened that day. She had told Marissa about the date, leaving out what had happened in the Shrieking Shack. Her thoughts then went to the kiss, that singular kiss that had changed all of her negative thoughts about him, the kiss that had felt so right. Yes, there were times when he could be a real ass, such as after their Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L., when he was teasing, more like torturing, Severus Snape. But he had stuck up for her when the git called her a Mudblood. Besides, he wasn't like that anymore, only when there was a necessity for it.

She snapped out of her thoughts, realizing she was sticking up for James Potter, whom she had despised until only a month ago.

She jumped in her bed as she heard a long, low howl, and she smiled, thinking of whatever stupid thing James was doing now. She walked over to the window that overlooked the Whomping Willow and Hagrid's Hut, looking for any sign of James. Where was he? After about five minutes of waiting she began to stand up to go back to bed, until she saw a movement from behind the Willow. A stag came out from behind the tree, staring straight at her.

***

He had seen her staring out of the window from the Gryffindor Tower, and wished he could do more than just stare out her, but Padfoot was waiting for him, and he went along reluctantly. Prongs spent most of the night wishing he were in the common room with Lily instead of outside with a werewolf. Even Padfoot seemed to notice his change of heart, and, as far as Prongs could tell, Padfoot wanted to slap him to bring him back to the world. However, being a dog, he couldn't do that, so he instead pounced on him from behind, and the two went on fighting for no reason until Moony and Wormtail were out of sight...

"Pass the coffee, will you?" he asked Peter at breakfast the next morning, ready to fall off his seat.

"Tired?" Peter asked while handing James the coffee.

"I just want to fall into my food," he said.

"Please don't so that, considering you'll be covered in egg," said Lily, sitting down next to him at the Gryffindor table.

"Evans! You'll have to support me if the thought is that terrible to you." He felt a sudden burst of energy, like an adrenaline rush, upon seeing Lily, although that quickly faded.

"Had fun last night, I take it?" she asked.

"'Course, and seeing you made it all the better," he said, half joking, half serious.

"Glad of that," she said. "At least we don't have classes today, although we have plenty of homework instead."

"Yeah, it could be Monday," he responded half-heartedly.

"Well, I better go and do that homework I mentioned. Flitwick gave us that essay on Procuring Charms, and that's definitely going to take me all day. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, for sure."

She left the Great Hall, and James fell back into even more of a tired daze.

"Snap out of it, James!" Sirius half-shouted at him. "You're not tired, you're just day dreaming about Evans- again."

"You know, you're probably right, but I'm going back to the dorm anyway," he said. He really did want to go back to Gryffindor Tower, but not to the dorm, as he made it appear. He really needed to get his homework done, although it was really just an excuse to work with Lily.

***

The teachers had managed to load the seventh years down with at least three hours of homework a night, getting them ready for their N.E.W.T.s. It reminded her of her O.W.L. year, but she had James for help this time.

She really didn't know what she would've done without him during Transfiguration, especially with the all of the work McGonagall gave. However, the work did have at least one positive aspect: November quickly came and went until it was almost time for the holidays. She was looking forward to a week without homework, although it meant she would have to endure her family.

"Lily!" she heard someone shout at her in the corridor. She looked around and saw James running at her.

"Before we all leave, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to visit me during break, maybe the day after Christmas?"
"Oh, James, that would be terrific! I'd love to come, and it would give me a break from my darling sister, Petunia."

"Great! Do you want me to come and get you or will you be able to find your own way?"

"I'll just Apparate, that will be easiest. This is wonderful! Thanks so much ahead of time, James!" She didn't know what came over her, but she kissed him in the middle of an incredibly crowded hallway. It wasn't like their first kiss, more like a peck on the lips, but she was just so happy. She would be able to spend Christmas with someone she really cared about; it was a wonderful break from her family, who she loved, sometimes... But James, he was just so wonderful, and she liked him so much.

But was it really just "like"? Was it possibly more than that? Did she love James Potter? No, she had spent four years trying to avoid him, endured four years of his annoying taunts and what she thought were his false accusations of breaking his heart. "It couldn't be love," she told herself. But she had a sneaking suspicion that she was also lying to herself.

"What's that I just heard?" asked Marissa. "James Potter asking you to visit, meet his family? Hmm, sounds like a lot more than a crush to me!"

"It does, doesn't it?" said Lily happily, as she walked off to Arithmancy.

At Marissa's words, she was suddenly excited for the holidays. Normally, excusing the work, she had always preferred Hogwarts to her own home, more or less because of her parents and sister. They were all Muggles, and her parents were a bit over-enthusiastic about their daughter being a witch, while her sister despised her for it. There had always been competition between the two for the love of their parents, something Lily still didn't know the reason for. Of course, Lily's Hogwarts letter had automatically won her the competition, although she would prefer Petunia to have the win. In her second year her parents' attention had gotten on her nerves, and it still did constantly. But she couldn't disappoint them by staying at Hogwarts over the break, and James' invitation gave her a perfect excuse to get out of the house for at least a day, however long it would take for that day to come.

There was a small feast that evening for those who were leaving the next day for Christmas, but Lily and James weren't present for it. They were in the Gryffindor common room, doing what James called packing, which was really a private conversation with a bit of kissing here and there.

"...And before I forget, here's where we'll meet," he said, handing her a little slip of parchment.

"Great!" she exclaimed. "Ugh, there goes our privacy," she sighed as a few second years walked through the portrait hole.

"I guess it's getting late, anyway," he said, looking at the old grandfather clock in the corner.

"Yeah, I suppose," she said reluctantly. "I guess I'll see you after Christmas!"

"Can't wait!" he said, leaving for his dorm.

She went down to her own dormitory after about five minutes of sitting by the fire, anxious. There was no homework she was forgetting; she had already bought her family Christmas presents... James! She had never gotten him anything! What the hell are you supposed to buy for a guy who has everything, anyway? Let's see... he loves Quidditch, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts...

"I'll just buy him a book or something," she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

***