A Perfect Match

A Perfect Match Ch. 2

What happens when James forgets it's a full moon?

**** **** **** ****

After Lily and James 'officially' got together, the whole school was buzzing. James obviously was head over heels for Lily, and Lily was beginning to develop certain feelings for James. The only times they were apart was when Lily had Journalism and James had Magical Shop. Every other time, they could be seen walking hand-in-hand to classes, or for moonlit strolls along the lake.

When there were Hogsmeade weekends, Lily and James were often seen at Madame Poufi's Café, of which James had once been very opposed to. Now, though, James actually suggested going there, much to Lily's surprise and delight. They spent much time (and money) sitting across from each other at the heart-shaped tables, holding hands, James grinning like a watermelon was stuck in his mouth, Lily batting her eyelashes at him.

On one of these weekends, Lily brought up the subject of the Shrieking Shack.

"I wonder what it's like inside."

"Oh, probably just dusty and dirty. I can't imagine ghosts make very good housekeepers."

"We should go inside it, James. See what it's like, be the first people to go in." This suggestion was proof of James's rubbing off on Lily, considering it was an unritten rule against going in the Shrieking Shack.

"What made you say that, Lily?" James asked, turning a little pale.

"I dunno. Maybe you're rubbing off on me," Lily said, giving James's hand a squeeze.

"Me rubbing off on you? Are you sure that's a good thing, Lily?" James asked, half teasing. "You know my attractiveness to problems."

"And trouble," Lily added, joking.

"Not trouble, mademoiselle. It's, aah, mischief, shall we say?" Lily gave him a look. "Oh, okay, trouble."

"Well, now that we've got that problem all settled, what do you say? Up for the Shrieking Shack?" Lily noticed James's hand become a bit clammy in her grasp. "Oooh, what's the matter, is wittle Potter a wee bit scawed?"

"Me? Scared? No! I...aah..." James caught sight of a large calendar that counted down the days until Valentine's Day taking up the wall behind the counter. The date currently read, 'October 24^th, 113 days before Valentine's day-make your reservations at Madame Poufi's today!' Under that, there were 2 snogging people sitting at a heart-shaped table, a crowd attempting to get in the door at the left of the table.

October 24^th. One week until Halloween, and, if James remembered right, the full moon.

"I'd love to go to the Shrieking Shack, Lily." James noticed that Lily looked surprised and a little apprehensive. "What's the matter, Evans, you scawed?"

"No, no, of course not," Lily said, shaking her head. "Let's go, then."

James paid for the bill, and he and Lily started up the hill to the Shrieking Shack.

"Do you think there'll be ghosts, James? Not that I'm scared," Lily added hastily.

"Nah, that's probably just a bunch of stories made up for tourists," James replied, taking Lily's hand. It shook in his grasp, so he made tender circles with his thumb. She smiled up at him, and he smiled down at her. Lily moved nearer to James, forcing him to drop her hand. Instead, he put his arm around her waist, drawing her nearer. She put her arm around his waist, and her head on his shoulder. James kissed the top of her head, and rested his head on hers. For a moment, both of them forgot their fear of the Shrieking Shack looming ahead in their contentment of each other.

**** **** **** ****

When Lily thought about the next few minutes a couple hours later, she felt a myriad of emotions: fear, definitely fear, amazement, and numbness. She could still remember every move that was made:

She and James were walking up the lane to the shrieking Shack, their arms around each other's waist. Suddenly, the door flung open. A creature-"Werewolf," Lily reminded herself-ran out, and looked at the pair of them before charging.

James immediately let go of Lily and planted himself in front of her, as a protection.

"Lily, run back down to the castle. Tell Professor Dumbledore that Remus needs help."

Before she had a chance to figure this out, James shouted at her, "Go, Lily! Now!" Lily saw James's face, and the sight of him white as a sheet made her finally turn around.

"Wait, Lily." James took her hand and tugged it. "I love you, Lily. I wanted you to know if...if we don't see each other for a while." James looked up and saw that the werewolf was getting much closer - fast. "Go, Lily, go now!"

"What about you?" Lily asked, searching his eyes with hers.

"I'll be fine. Lily, just go!" The werewolf was only five metres away.

Lily obeyed. Running back down the hill, Lily called back over her shoulder, "I love you, too, James!" What she saw in back of her nearly made her fall. Chasing the werewolf into the forest was a pure-white stag.

**** **** **** ****

By the time Lily got back to the castle, her heart felt like it was going to leap out of her chest. She burst into the Great Hall, only to find no one there. She also had no idea where Dumbledore's office might be. Lily decided to ask Professor McGonagall, as she was the teacher who would be most likely to help. Her office also was the closest.

Lily burst into McGonagall's office. McGonagall looked p from the stack of papers in front of her.

"Need to see... Dumbledore... werewolf... Shrieking Shack... James... stag... forest... Remus... need help..." Lily panted, before she fell into a dead faint.

**** **** **** ****

Lily came to in the hospital wing, surrounded by an army of chocolate frogs, half of them eaten. James was in a chair next to her bed, opening a chocolate frog.

"Lily!" James said, as soon as she opened her eyes. "Merlin's beard, Lily, I wasn't sure if you were going to make it!" The forgotten chocolate frog hopped under Lily's bed. "You've been asleep two days!"

"Two days?"

James reached up and brushed a red lock of hair from Lily's face. "Yeah, two days. I'm so happy you're awake!" James caressed her cheek.

"I'm so happy you're alive! What happened?"

"Well," James said, still caressing her cheek tenderly, "after you left, I chased Moo-the werewolf into the forest. We ended up around Dead Man's Rock. I thought I was a dead man, until Dumbledore and McGonagall showed up. Dumbledore stunned Moon-er, the werewolf, and he fell into a faint. Then, McGonagall Mobilicurpus'ed him up to the Shrieking Shack. We fixed the door, and put a 'Do Not Enter' sign on it. I begged them to tell me where you were, and when they did, I raced up here to see you."

"Oh, James, you could've been hurt!" Lily started to cry, tears falling down her face. James smiled lovingly at her and waited for her to stop crying. When she did, he gently brushed her tears away. She gave him a watery smile.

"James, there's one thing I don't understand."

"What's that?"

"When I looked back, I thought I saw a pure-white stag. But that can't be, I guess I was hallucinating-"

James sighed and looked past her to the wall behind her.

"What is it?" Lily asked, softly.

"You weren't hallucinating, Lily. The stag, it was-it was me."

But you'd have to be-"

"Yes, I'm an Animagus. So's Sirius and Peter. Sirius is a dog, and Peter's a rat. I'm a stag. We learned to be Animagi because Remus is..." James took a deep breath. "Remus is a werewolf. The werewolf we saw, in fact. He goes to the Shrieking Shack every full moon so he can change safely. And I forgot. I forgot the full moon's tonight, not next week. I'm so sorry, Lily. Because of my stupidity, we both almost got killed." James hung his head.

Lily touched his hand. "James, it's okay. We didn't get killed, and because of your quick-thinking, Remus is sleeping peacefully now."

"So you're not mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you?"

"For being an idiot, for not telling you the truth..."

Lily giggled. "First of all I'm quite used to your being an idiot." James gave her a look. "I'm only joking, James, you know that." James nodded. "And second, you don't have to tell me everything now. When we're married, yes, but not everything right now." She smiled at him.

James looked at her, mouth open. "Married? Lily?"

Lily took his hand in hers. "Yes, James. Not now, not for a while. But I do want to marry you, sometime. I love you, James. I thought you loved me." Lily's lower lip trembled.

"I do, Lily, I do! I've loved you since I first saw you, loved you without stopping, even when you hated me."

"I never hated you. Just disliked. But now, I don't like you. I love you."

Their lips were just coming towards each other when Madame Pomfrey's voice shattered their dream world.

"Out! No more visitors! Out, now!"

Lily and James rolled their eyes at each other as Madame Pomfrey strode over.

"Mr. Potter, you need to leave. Visiting hours are over." James walked out, blowing Lily a kiss. Madame Pomfrey grabbed it out of thin air.

"Out!"

James made a face behind her back, causing Lily to giggle. Madame Pomfrey chased him out of the hospital wing with a bed warmer.

She returned to Lily, shaking her head. Deftly, she measured out potion from a cup.

"Now, this might sting a little. It's to tone down some of the more dramatic details."

"Okay," Lily said. She thought, "I can bear any pain as long as I have my James's love."